Pt–calcium cobaltate enables sorption‐enhanced steam reforming of glycerol coupled with chemical‐looping CH₄ combustion

Abstract

Sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SESR) process is usually highly energy intensive in producing high-purity hydrogen. Herein, the sorbent decarbonation was conducted in the presence of O 2 to enable the exothermic reaction between CaO and CoO x to form calcium cobaltate (CCO). By utilizing CCO as oxygen carrier (OC), the chemicallooping methane combustion was employed prior to the SESR of glycerol (SESRG), by which CCO was prereduced to Co catalysts and CaO sorbent, thereby significantly improving the H 2 yield from SESRG. With a Pt-doped CCO acting as precatalyst, CO 2 sorbent, and OC, we realized 70% CH 4 conversion and 96 vol% H 2 with 120% yield (based on glycerol) for 20 cycles, and the excess H 2 was due to steam gasification of coke. The promoting effects of Pt toward CH 4 conversion and H 2 production were rationalized by CH 4 temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of process integration enabled by multifunctional materials.