Light Cycle Oil Source for Hydrogen Production through Autothermal Reforming using Ruthenium doped Perovskite Catalysts

Abstract

As the hydrogen economy is coming soon, the development of an efficient H2 production system is the first issue to focus on. In this study, a first attempt to utilize light cycle oil (LCO) feedstock is introduced for H2 production through autothermal reforming (ATR) using perovskite catalysts. From a careful characterization, it is found that LCO possesses a high content of C–H and S/N compounds with over 3–4 ring bonds. These various compounds can directly cause catalyst deactivations to lower the capability of H2 extraction from LCO. To achieve a heteroatom resistance, two different perovskite micro-tubular catalysts are designed with a Ru substitution at the B-site. The activity and stability of the Ru doped perovskite were controlled by modifying the Ru electronic structure, which also affects the oxygen structures. The perovskite with a B-site of Cr reveals a relatively high portion of active Ru and O, demonstrating an effective catalyst structure with a comparable LCO reforming activity at the harsh ATR reaction conditions. The greater stability due to the Ru in the perovskite is investigated post-characterization, showing the possibility of H2 production by LCO fuel through the perovskite catalysts.