Black powder catalyst for hydrogen production via steam reforming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022212926-A1
Application number	US-202117140236-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2021
Priority date	Jan 4, 2021
Publication date	Jul 7, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A steam reforming catalyst that includes treated black powder (primarily hematite), and a method of treating black powder (e.g., from a natural gas pipeline) to give the treated black powder. A steam reformer having the treated black powder as reforming catalyst, and a method of producing syngas with the steam reformer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of steam reforming hydrocarbon, comprising reacting the hydrocarbon with steam via reforming catalyst to generate synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the reforming catalyst comprises treated black powder comprising hematite.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises methane, and wherein the hematite is at least 50 weight percent of the treated black powder.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated black powder comprises black powder subjected to heat, the black powder from a natural gas pipeline.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated black powder comprises black powder collected from a natural-gas pipeline system and that is subjected to heat in presence of air to give the treated black powder.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated black powder comprises black powder subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C. for at least 3 hours.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated black powder comprises calcined black powder.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated black powder comprises black powder subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of at least 775° C. in presence of air for at least 4 hours, and wherein the heat treatment comprises air calcination of the black powder.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treated black powder comprises black powder subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C. to remove carbon from the black powder and then subjected to air calcination at a temperature of at least 775° C. to give calcined black powder as the treated black powder.

9 . A method of steam reforming hydrocarbon, comprising:
providing hydrocarbon and steam to a steam reformer vessel, wherein reforming catalyst comprising treated black powder is disposed in the steam reformer vessel; steam reforming the hydrocarbon in the steam reformer vessel via the reforming catalyst to generate hydrogen and carbon monoxide; and discharging the hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the steam reformer vessel.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the steam reforming comprises reacting the hydrocarbon with the steam, and wherein the hydrocarbon comprises methane.

11 . The method of claim 9 , comprising providing heat to the steam reformer vessel for the steam reforming comprising reacting of the hydrocarbon with the steam, wherein the reacting of the hydrocarbon with the steam is endothermic.

12 . A method of preparing a reforming catalyst for steam reforming methane, comprising:
receiving black powder; applying heat to the black powder to remove carbon from the black powder; and calcining the black powder in presence of air to give calcined black powder as the reforming catalyst, wherein the calcined black powder comprises hematite.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising collecting the black powder from a natural-gas pipeline system.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein receiving the black powder comprises receiving the black powder collected from a natural-gas pipeline system, wherein applying heat to the black powder to remove carbon from the black powder gives a heat-treated black powder, and wherein calcining the black powder comprises calcining the heat-treated black powder in the presence of air to give the calcined black powder as the reforming catalyst.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein applying heat comprises applying the heat at a temperature of at least 500° C. for at least 3 hours to remove the carbon from the black powder.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the calcining comprises applying heat to the black powder in the presence of air at a temperature of at least 775° C. for at least 4 hours to give the calcined black powder as the reforming catalyst, wherein the hematite is at least 50 weight percent of the calcined black powder.

17 . A reforming catalyst for reforming methane with steam, the reforming catalyst comprising at least 70 weight percent of hematite, wherein the hematite is both a support and active portion of the reforming catalyst, and wherein in steam reforming of the methane, the hematite being amphoteric advances both cracking of the methane and dissociation of the steam.

18 . The reforming catalyst of claim 17 , wherein the reforming catalyst comprises calcined black powder comprising the hematite.

19 . The reforming catalyst of claim 18 , wherein the calcined black powder is black powder heat treated at a temperature of at least 500° C. for at least 3 hours and calcined at a temperature of at least 775° C. in presence of air for at least 4 hours, the black powder from a natural gas pipeline.

20 . A steam reformer comprising:
a steam reformer vessel comprising:
at least one inlet to receive methane and steam;
a reforming catalyst comprising calcined black powder to convert the methane and the steam into syngas; and
an outlet to discharge the syngas, wherein the syngas comprises hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

21 . The steam reformer of claim 20 , wherein the steam reformer vessel comprises a fixed-bed reactor vessel comprising the reforming catalyst in a fixed bed.

22 . The steam reformer of claim 21 , wherein the fixed-bed reactor vessel comprises a multi-tubular fixed-bed reactor.

23 . The steam reformer of claim 20 , wherein the steam reformer vessel comprises a fluidized-bed reactor vessel to operate with a fluidized bed of the reforming catalyst.

24 . The steam reformer of claim 20 , wherein the reforming catalyst comprising the calcined black powder comprises at least 50 weight percent of hematite.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Wedhaya Ahmad A
• Fadhel Bandar A
• Albuali Mohammed A
• Bamagain Rami

Classifications

• C01B2203/062

  Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process · CPC title

• C01B3/384

  with external heating of the catalyst · CPC title

• C01B3/48

  followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide · CPC title

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• C01B2203/1047

  Group VIII metal catalysts · CPC title