Hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming on NiSn/MgO–Al2O3 catalysts: The role of MgO addition Original Research Article

The effect of the magnesia loading on the surface structure and catalytic properties of NiSn/MgO–Al2O3 catalysts for hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming has been investigated. The catalysts have been obtained by impregnation of γ-Al2O3 by the incipient wetness method, with variation of the MgO content. X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area and H2-temperature programmed reduction (TPR) have been used to characterise the prepared catalysts. From this, it has been concluded that the incorporation of MgO results in the formation of MgAl2O4 spinel, which modifies the acid–base properties of the catalysts. The formation of Ni–Sn alloys after the reductive pre-treatment has also been evidenced.