III International Conference

PP-III-84SELECTIVE PROCESS OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY CATALYTICPYROLYSIS OF PROPANESoloviov E.A., Kuvshinov D.G., Chukanov I.S., Ermakov D.Yu. 1 , Kuvshinov G.G.Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk, Russia1 Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaE-mail: easoloviov@mail.ruCatalytic propane pyrolysis in temperature range of 400-700o C was studied.Monometallic 90 wt.% Ni/Al 2 O 3 and bimetallic 70 wt.% Ni–20 wt.% Cu/SiO 2 and 50 wt.%Ni–40 wt.% Cu/SiO 2 catalysts were used. Catalytic decomposition of propane with using ofall three catalysts yielded hydrogen, methane and unreacted propane, and carbon nanofibers.It was found that bimetallic Ni-Cu catalysts exhibited significantly lower propanedecomposition temperatures and longer time-on-stream performances than monometallic Nicatalyst. Furthermore, at the temperature of 600 o C high hydrogen content with only fewvol.% of methane admixture can be achieved by using 50 wt.% Ni–40 wt.% Cu/SiO 2 catalyst.A number of methods of hydrogen production are known. Nevertheless hydrocarbonsteam conversion today founds the widest adaptation. The main process disadvantage is theformation of by-products such as CO and CO 2 . And even if the hydrogen is used in fuel cells,the serious problem is to purify the hydrogen from CO, because the carbon oxide is a poisonfor catalysts which are used in fuel cells.To prevent CO and CO 2 formation during the hydrogen production it is suggested to usea process of high-temperature (1200-1800 o C) pyrolysis of hydrocarbons. But the pyrolysisalso has several shortcomings related to high temperature (such as the need for specialmaterials and high energy losses).Several years ago a new way of CO-free hydrogen and valuable nanofibrouscarbonaceous material production based on catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons (mostlymethane) over Ni and Ni-Cu-containing (up to 90 %) catalysts in temperatures of 500-800 o Cwas suggested. The works followed this direction are mostly devoted to the studying thecatalytic decomposition of methane.As it appeared from thermodynamics, the only products of hydrocarbons decompositionin relatively low temperatures are C, H 2 and CH 4 . And the lower temperature is the lowerconcentration of hydrogen is obtained. In the temperature of 550 o C the concentration ofhydrogen is less than 30 %. To obtain the higher concentration of hydrogen the methanehydrogenmixture need to be partitioned and the temperature of the process must be increased.628