Mechanism to H2 production on rhenium carbide from pyrolysis of coconut shell

Abstract

This paper reports, for the first time, the use of Re2C as a catalyst for H2 production from biomass. Re2C has been synthesized from rhenium and graphite using 1:1 and 2:1 stoichiometries. The highest H2 productions are obtained at 800 °C using 10 wt % of Re2C catalysts. The yield of hydrogen production using Re2C (1:1) as a catalyst is 53.8%, while with Re2C (2:1) as a catalyst, it is 57.0%. The yield of 57.0% hydrogen using the Re2C (2:1) catalyst is the highest reported using biomass. The TPR and FTIR indicate that the Re from the Re2C is the main catalytic center involved in hydrogen generation from the decomposition of coconut shell. Finally, we proved that Re2C is a good material that can be used as a catalyst in H2 production from biomass.