Steam Reforming of C2-C4 Hydrocarbons

While natural gas reforming is the primary process for the industrial production of H2, the reforming of other gaseous hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and n-butane have been explored for the production of H2 for fuel cells.52,97 The reforming of propane and n-butane received particular attention in recent years, because they are the primary constituents of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is available commercially and can be easily transported and stored on-site. LPG could be an attractive fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and PEMFCs for mobile applications.98 01 The chemistry, thermodynamics, catalysts, kinetics, and reaction mechanism involved in the reforming of C2-C4 hydrocarbons are briefly discussed in this section. 

Steam reforming reaction of ethane, propane, and n-butane are represented by Equations 2.21-2.23, while the thermodynamic data for these reactions are summarized in Tables 2.1-2.9, respectively  

The Ni-based catalysts known for the steam reforming of natural gas are also active for the steam reforming of C2-C4 hydrocarbons. However, carbon deposition and 

Manufacturer Trade Name Hydrocarbon NiO (wt%) Promoter (wt%) Carrier (wt%) Si02 

Johnson Matthey 23-4 Naphtha, NG, and light HC 18 — A1203 (balance) 0.1 

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Table 2.11. A Few Selected Catalysts Reported Recently for the Steam Reforming of C2-C4 Hydrocarbons... 

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