Valorization of Plastic Waste into Hydrogen: Ni-Co/Al2O3-ZrO2 Nanocatalyst for Efficient Steam Reforming of
Janhavi B Kalantre1, Ganapati D Yadav1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai, India.
Abstract:
Plastic waste, particularly low-density polyethylene (LDPE), poses severe environmental challenges due to its low bio-degradability and limited recycling potential. In this study, a solvent-assisted catalytic steam reforming approach is investigated, in which LDPE is finely dispersed in ethylene glycol (EG) to enable homogeneous feed delivery for hydrogen production. Steam reforming experiments were conducted over 20 wt% Ni-Co/Al2O3-ZrO2 catalyst synthesized via sol-gel and wet impregnation methods. The bimetallic catalyst exhibited high surface area (136 m2 g- 1), strong metal-support interaction (SMI), and improved thermal stability confirmed through characterization techniques including XRD, BET, FESEM, FTIR, and TGA-DSC analyses. Systematic optimization of operating parameters such as metal loading, steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C), gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), and temperature revealed optimal conditions at S/C = 9, GHSV = 810 h- 1, and 500°C. Under these conditions, it achieved 95% feed conversion, 92.72% hydrogen yield, and 97.6% selectivity. The synergistic interaction between Ni and Co enhanced reforming kinetics and suppressed coke formation, enabling stable operation. Compared to previous reports on ethylene glycol or PET reforming, the current work improved hydrogen yield by 5-10%, validating its potential for direct plastic-to-hydrogen conversion. Overall, the results demonstrate the potential of solvent-assisted reforming as a controlled platform for hydrogen generation from waste polymer-derived carbon.
More Related Videos
06:32A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
Published on: August 17, 2016
10:15Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
Published on: November 7, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Catalysis
Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes
