Catalytic Screening for Steam Reforming of Olive Mill Wastewater

Title : Catalytic Screening for Steam Reforming of Olive Mill Wastewater

Abstract:

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a pollutant effluent of the olive oil production. To reduce the environmental impact of this agro-industrial sector, with simultaneous valorization of such waste, the steam reforming of OMW (OMWSR) was studied in this work. Besides the reduction of pollution resulting from OMW, the process allows producing “green” H2. In this study, several commercial catalysts (Ni-, Cu–Zn- and noble metal-based) were tested to compare their performances. A catalytic screening study with all the commercial catalysts was performed, and stability tests were conducted with the material that demonstrated higher activity (Rh-based catalyst). The physicochemical characterization of the fresh and spent materials was realized through several techniques (temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed oxidation, transmission electron microscopy, temperature-programmed desorption of CO₂, temperature-programmed desorption of NH₃, chemisorption of H₂, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and physical adsorption of N₂ at −196 °C). Although there are some materials with good catalytic performance, the Rh-based sample stood out during the tests, exhibiting high catalytic activity and high stability: at 400 °C the H₂ yield (over 9 mol_H2·mol_OMW⁻¹) and total organic carbon (TOC) conversion (>98%) were high along all the 24 h of the stability test. Besides that, several Ni-containing catalysts were prepared and tested to compare their performances for the OMWSR; still, stability tests were also carried out. The materials were also extensively characterized. Amongst the materials tested, the Ni–Ru/SiO₂ sample stood out, exhibiting high catalytic performance: at 400 °C, the H₂ yield (>8 mol_H2·mol_OMW^-1) and conversion of total organic carbon (≈75%) were high during all the 24 h of the long-term test, with only a small deactivation being noticed.

Audience take-away:

• Properties of the catalysts that effect the catalytic activities of the materials in a steam reforming process. 
• Solution for valorization of the Olive Oil Mill Wastewater.

Biography:

Cláudio Rocha (MSc in Chemical Engineering at FEUP) is a Postdoctoral Research at ALiCE, FEUP. His research is focused on the valorization of the Olive Oil Mill Wastewater (OMW) through the Steam Reforming Reaction in hybrid multifunctional reactors. He has published in only 6 years of his R&D career 11 papers in international journals with peer review, plus 1 manuscript already submitted, achieving 82 citations, and holding an h-index of 6 (source: Scopus, August 2022). He co-authored 6 abstracts published in international peer-reviewed conference proceedings, 3 of which selected as oral communications.