Kinetic Study of Autothermal Reforming of Glycerol Using a Dual Layer Monolith Catalyst

Kinetic study of autothermal reforming of glycerol using dual layer monolith catalyst

Yujia Liu^a*, Bi Chen^a, Robert Farrauto^b Adeniyi Lawal^a

^a New Jersey Center for MicroChemical Systems, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

^b BASF Catalysts, 25 Middlesex Turnpike, Iselin, NJ 08830, USA

Crude glycerol is a by-product during biodiesel production via transesterification of triglycerides. The conversion of glycerol to synthesis gas and then to methanol represents an important niche for crude glycerol processing that could relieve small biodiesel producers from high glycerol disposal cost while reducing their dependence on methanol from fossil fuels. The autothermal reforming (ATR) of glycerol into synthesis gas (syngas) was studied using the BASF dual layer monolith catalyst.

This paper presents an approach for developing the kinetic model for the ATR of glycerol. The determination of reaction pathways/mechanisms on one hand and chemical kinetics and parameter estimations on the other make up the two vital aspects of kinetic modeling of catalytic processes. A LHHW type rate model is developed and subjected to parameter estimation and model discrimination. The kinetic parameters in conjunction with the kinetic equations can then be used as a design tool for process scale-up.