Synthesis gas production by steam reforming of ethanol

A two-layer fixed-bed catalytic reactor for syngas production by steam refo rming of ethanol has been proposed. In the reactor, ethanol is first conver ted to a mixture of methane, carbon oxides and hydrogen over a Pd-based cat alyst and then this mixture is converted to syngas over a Ni-based catalyst for methane steam reforming. It has been shown that the use of the two-lay er fixed-bed reactor prevents coke formation and provides the syngas yield closed to equilibrium. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.