Auto Thermal Reforming (ATR) Catalytic Structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016214089-A1
Application number	US-201615089069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 11, 2011
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An autothermal reforming catalytic structure for generating hydrogen gas from liquid hydrocarbons, steam and an oxygen source. The autothermal reforming catalytic structure includes a support structure and metal particles dispersed homogenously throughout the support structure.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for formulating an autothermal reforming (ATR) catalytic structure consisting essentially of:
obtaining a basic solution having a basic pH of between 10 and 12, the basic solution comprising an alkaline metal hydroxide, an alkaline metal carbonate, and water; obtaining an acidic solution having an acidic pH of between 4 and 6, the acidic solution comprising magnesium cations and nickel cations; mixing the basic solution with the acidic solution to create a sol-gel having layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors through co-precipitation of the cations with the basic solution, the LDH precursors having layered crystal structures; heating the sol-gel at a decomposition temperature of 500° C. for a time period of 8 hours to form a calcined material having mixed metal oxides; and conducting a metal reducing step on the calcined material for collapsing the layered crystal structures within the LDH precursors using a gas mixture having molar hydrogen in a range of from about 5% to about 20% and nitrogen at a temperature in a range of from about 450° C. to about 600° C. to form an ATR catalytic structure, where the ATR catalytic structure has metal particles dispersed throughout.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mixed metal oxides have a surface area between 100 to 300 m 2 /g.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal particles are homogeneously distributed throughout the ATR catalytic structure.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ATR catalytic structure to reform hydrocarbons for hydrogen production at temperatures less than about 800° C.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the calcined material consists essentially of 20.5% by weight nickel oxide, 5.5% by weight magnesium oxide, and 75% by weight aluminum.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the basic solution further comprises a mixture of NaOH and Na 2 CO 3 , such that the basic solution has a pH of about 12.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acidic solution has a total cationic concentration of 1.5 M.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cations have an aluminum concentration of between about 20 and 35 mol %.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decomposition temperature is within a range of from greater than 500° C. to about 600° C.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ATR catalytic structure is operable to produce a hydrogen product stream from a feed stream having liquid hydrocarbons through the use of an ATR reaction when incorporated into a porous tubular support.

11 . A method of formulating an autothermal reforming (ATR) catalyst consisting essentially of:
a. preparing a basic solution having a pH of between 10 and 12; b. preparing an acidic solution having a pH of between 4 and 6, wherein the acidic solution comprises magnesium cations and nickel cations and has a total cationic concentration of about 1.5 M; c. mixing the acidic solution and the basic solution together to form a sol-gel; d. aging the sol-gel to form a formed solid; e. washing and filtering the formed solid with water until a generally neutral pH is reached; f. drying the formed solid for a predetermined period of time to form a dry solid; g. calcining the dry solid at a temperature of 650° C. for a time period of 8 hours to form a calcined material having mixed metal oxides; and h. reducing the metal in the calcined material by contacting the calcined material with hydrogen at a temperature in a range of from about 450° C. to about 600° C. to form the ATR catalytic structure, the ATR catalytic structure having metal particles dispersed throughout.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the basic solution of step a is prepared by combining NaOH and Na 2 CO 3 such that the basic solution has a pH of about 12.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the ATR catalytic structure is incorporated into a porous tubular support and is operable to produce a hydrogen product stream from a liquid hydrocarbon feed stream through the use of an ATR reaction.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the hydrogen product stream is substantially free from carbon monoxide.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the hydrogen product stream comprises no more than 0.5% by volume carbon monoxide.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the calcined material consists essentially of 20.5% by weight nickel oxide, 5.5% by weight magnesium oxide, and 75% by weight aluminum.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co
• Univ Queensland

Inventors

• Beltramini Jorge N
• Adebajo Moses O
• Da Costa Joao Carlos Diniz
• Lu Gao Qing
• Pham Thang V
• Katikaneni Sai P

Classifications

• B01J37/04

  Mixing {(B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B01J37/009

  Preparation by separation, e.g. by filtration, decantation, screening · CPC title

• B01J37/18

  with gases containing free hydrogen · CPC title

• B01J37/08

  Heat treatment {(B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B01J37/036

  to form a gel or a cogel · CPC title