Effect of Support on Steam Reforming of Ethanol for H₂ Production with Copper-Based Catalysts

Catalytic studies for hydrogen production via steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) are essential for process optimization. Likewise, selecting the ideal support for the active phase can be critical to achieve high conversion rates during the catalytic steam reforming. In this work, copper-based catalysts were synthesized using two different supports, NaY zeolite and Nb2O5/Al2O3 mixed oxides. The materials were prepared using wet impregnation and characterized for their physicochemical properties using different analytical techniques. Differences in catalyst morphologies were readily attributed to the characteristics of the support. The Cu/NaY catalyst showed better textural properties than Cu/Nb2O5/Al2O3, resulting in a homogeneous metal dispersion over the support surface. Both catalytic systems were active in SRE, but Cu/NaY resulted in higher ethanol conversions compared to Cu/Nb2O5/Al2O3. Hence, the performance of copper-based catalysts was influenced significantly by the textural properties of the support.