Hydrogen Production from Residual Oil Using Steam-Iron System

2 Hydrogen Production from Residual Oil Using Steam-Iron System 

Fukase and Suzuka [60] reported on the development of the process involving HRO cracking with generation of H2 in the presence of iron oxides. The process consists of three major steps taking place in FBRs  

In the cracker, HRO is cracked over iron oxide catalyst at 540°C in the presence of steam with the production of gas, liquid products, coke (12-16%), and hydrogen (by reaction of wustite with steam) 

In the regenerator (830°C), the coke deposited on the catalyst is partially oxidized to CO, thus reducing magnetite to wustite. Sulfur dioxide produced by POx of sulfurous coke is fixed into the catalyst as follows  

It was found that the hydrogen-producing activity of catalysts declined during consecutive reduction and oxidation cycles. The authors concluded that the catalyst deactivation could be prevented by careful balancing of the stoichiometry of the reduction oxidation reactions. The amount of H2 produced was estimated at 210 Nm1 2 3/kL of vacuum HRO [57], 

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