Researchers at the Institute of Chemical Technology have developed a new catalyst that allows to obtain, from bioethanol, hydrogen for direct use in fuel cells.
According to the researchers note the ITQ, the new catalyst is a new step towards the sustainable production of hydrogen with “interesting applications”, for example, buses, trains or trams based fuel cells.
It is an active catalyst at low temperatures, high selectivity to hydrogen production water and low carbon monoxide and methane. These three features can improve both energy and economic efficiency of hydrogen production process. “Hydrogen is currently produced by steam reforming of natural gas that operates at 900 º C, compared to 350 º C to working our catalyst, leading to a major energy savings,” said Antonio Chica, a researcher at the ITQ.
Likewise, the catalyst developed by the ITQ produced “very little” carbon monoxide, which means “breakthrough”, mainly to ensure optimal performance of the fuel cell because the CO is causing the malfunction of the batteries.
Also get “significant benefit” to the process of producing high purity hydrogen because it would involve the partial or total removal of one of the most expensive in the process units (units that use catalysts that are fairly expensive and aimed at the removal of CO by water displacement reactions and preferential oxidation). Similarly, the final stage of purification is simplified both in terms of energy and technology, which would mean “a considerable cost savings,” he said.
“The catalyst that we have developed could have interesting applications in industrial production of hydrogen. It has proven its efficiency in the laboratory, through the study of plant-level scale pilot will have to confirm the good results obtained so far, “said Girl.
