Exploring CeO2-Doped Co/SBA-15 Catalysts for Acetic Acid Oxidative Steam Reforming

This work explores the effect of the incorporation of CeO2 into Co/SBA-15 catalysts in hydrogen production through acetic acid oxidative steam reforming as a bio-oil aqueous phase model compound. CeO2 was incorporated (5–30 wt.%) to improve the physicochemical properties of the catalyst. XRD analysis confirmed that the addition of CeO2 resulted in smaller Co0 mean crystallite sizes, while H2-TPR showed enhanced reducibility properties. The catalytic performance was evaluated in the 400–700 °C range, S/C molar ratio = 2, O2/C molar ratio = 0.0375, WHSV = 30.2 h−1, and P = 1 atm. Catalysts containing 10 and 20 wt.% of CeO2 exhibited the best catalytic performance, achieving nearly complete conversions and H2 yield values, approaching thermodynamic equilibrium at 550 °C. Both samples maintained an acetic acid conversion above 90% after 30 h of time-on-stream, with H2 yields above 55% along the steam reforming tests. This agrees with their lower coke formation rates (7.2 and 12.0 mgcoke·gcat−1·h−1 for Co/10CeO2-SBA15 and Co/20CeO2-SBA15, respectively).