Catalyst and sorbent material for the production of hydrogen

Abstract

A catalyst and sorbent is disclosed which comprises pellets with an absorbent core and a protective shell with a catalyst in the shell. Such material is especially well suited for steam reforming of hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen since a reforming catalyst can be incorporated in the shell and a sorbent for the by-product carbon dioxide can be used for the core. It is also well suited for producing hydrogen from carbon monoxide by means of the water gas shift reaction. The shell can be made sufficiently strong and durable for moving bed applications as well as fixed bed applications.

1 . A method of manufacturing a composition for producing hydrogen from industrial gas-phase chemical reactions comprising: forming an interior core that reacts with or absorbs CO 2 ; coating the core with a protective shell; and incorporating a catalyst into the protective shell.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the interior core is formed by pelletizing a core-forming material selected from the group consisting of limestone, lime, dolomite, plaster of Paris, anhydrite, and gypsum.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further including the step of drying and screening the core-forming material to form pellets of a uniform size following the coating step.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  whereby the shell is comprised of hydraulic cement, and the method further includes the step of curing the core following the coating step in a steam atmosphere at 100° C. for about 1-3 days.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  whereby the shell is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of alumina, limestone, and plaster of Paris, and the method further includes the step of calcining the core following the coating step to cause partial sintering of the shell material.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  whereby the catalyst is incorporated into the shell by impregnating the shell with a solution of the catalyst.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  whereby the impregnation step is repeated at least once.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  whereby the core is treated with carbon dioxide at 500-800° C. following the coating step and prior to the catalyst incorporation step.