A metal/-MoC.sub.1-x load-type single-atomic dispersion catalyst, a synthesis method therefor, and applications thereof. The catalyst uses -MoC.sub.1-x as carrier, and has metal that has the mass fraction ranging from 1-100% and that is dispersed on carrier -MoC.sub.1-x in the single atom form. The catalyst provided in the present application can be adapted to a wide alcohol/water proportion in hydrogen production based on aqueous-phase reforming of alcohols, outstanding hydrogen production performance can be obtained at a variety of proportions, and catalysis performance of the catalyst is much higher than that of metal loaded with an oxide carrier. Especially when the metal is Pt, catalysis performance of the catalyst provided in the present application in the hydrogen production based on aqueous-phase reforming of alcohols is much higher than that of a Pt/-MoC.sub.1-x load-type catalyst on the -MoC.sub.1-x carrier on which Pt is disposed on a layer form in the prior art. The hydrogen production performance of the catalyst provided in the present application can be higher than 20,000 h.sup.1 at the temperature of 190 C.

Apparatus and processes for high-yield production of syngas components via combustion of a carbon-containing material and an oxygen-containing material are provided. Syngas components are generated in an exothermic, combustion reaction with only minor quantities of carbon dioxide, water, and elemental carbon produced.

In a process for steam reforming of oxygenates, especially at low steam-to-carbon (S/C) ratios, a feed gas containing oxygenates, such as ethanol, is converted into syngas over a ternary carbide catalyst. Then the reformed gas is either transformed into desired chemicals or mixed into the feed stream to the reformer in a plant, such as an ammonia or methanol plant. The preferred ternary carbide is nickel zinc carbide.

A method of producing smoke for the treatment of foodstuffs, the method comprising the steps of providing a supply of sugar alcohol, and heating the sugar alcohol to produce a gaseous product containing vapours and particulate materials. The method further comprises filtering the gaseous product to remove substantially all of the particulate materials and any toxic gases present wherein, in use, an odourless and flavourless smoke is produced.

The invention relates to an installation (1) and a method allowing the near total recovery and space-saving storage of carbon in the form of liquid carbon dioxide (19), from a substance (9) of the group consisting of hydrocarbons/ethers/alcohols, without the use of gas compression. To achieve this, a superheated gas (12) at a pressure of over 5.18 bar is generated from the substance (9) of the group consisting of hydrocarbons/ethers/alcohols and water (10), and this gas is delivered, by means of steam reforming and hydrogen liberation, into a retentate mass flow (15) containing carbon dioxide. Liquid carbon dioxide (19) is obtained therefrom by means of condensation, and is stored in a storage tank (7) while the liberated hydrogen is oxidised to provide mechanical and/or electrical as well as thermal energy. The use of membranes with low hydrogen/carbon dioxide permeation selectivity is permitted by forming a permeate mass flow circuit that is closed in respect of carbon dioxide. Operation at low pressures is permitted by the condensation and storage at temperatures below the ambient temperature, for which purpose cold (17) is generated from said thermal energy in a sorption method.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame with a membrane support structure having first and second membrane support plates that are free from perforations and that include a plurality of microgrooves configured to provide flow channels for at least part of the permeate stream. In some embodiments, the assemblies may include a return conduit fluidly connecting a buffer tank and a reformate conduit, a return valve assembly configured to manage flow in the return conduit, and a control assembly configured to operate a fuel processing assembly between run and standby modes based, at least in part, on detected pressure in the buffer tank and configured to direct the return valve assembly to allow product hydrogen stream to flow from the buffer tank to the reformate conduit when the fuel processing assembly is in the standby mode.

The present invention relates to a reactor for production of synthesis gas that optionally has a fluid-tight connection to a heat exchanger, and to a process for producing synthesis gas, preferably under high pressure.

The present application relates to a process for production of hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: converting a feed stream comprising alcohols, ethers or mixtures hereof over a Zn-containing zeolite based catalyst wherein Zn is at least partly present as ZnAl.sub.2O.sub.4, active in dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, in a conversion step thereby obtaining a conversion effluent, separating said effluent to obtain an aqueous process condensate stream, a liquid hydrocarbon stream and a gaseous stream, removing part of the hydrogen formed in the conversion step, and recycling at least part of the gaseous and/or liquid hydrocarbon stream to the conversion step.

A bifunctional catalyst for conversion of oxygenates, said bifunctional catalyst comprising zeolite, alumina binder, Zn and P, wherein P is evenly distributed across the catalyst.

Photo-thermal catalysts and methods of use are described. The photo-thermal catalyst can include a photo-active metal oxide and, optionally, a plasmon resonance material. The photo-thermal catalyst has a temperature of 150 C. to 400 C. and is in contact with electromagnetic radiation. The photo-thermal catalyst can be used in a photo-thermal method to generate hydrogen from alcohols.