A process for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprises partially oxidising a feedgas comprising a hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of steam to form a partially oxidised hydrocarbon gas mixture at a temperature >1200 C. and passing the resultant partially oxidised hydrocarbon gas mixture through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, wherein the bed comprises a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a catalytically active metal on an oxidic support wherein the oxidic support for the first layer is a zirconia.

A method of increasing hydrogen content of a synthesis gas via a water-gas shift reaction includes providing a catalyst composition comprising cesium, molybdenum and sulfur on an inert support. A reactant gas mixture including synthesis gas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) and steam, when flowed into contact with the catalyst composition, may form a hydrogen enriched shifted gas mixture.

The present invention provides a catalyst in which a reaction initiation temperature at which self-heating function is exhibited is low and which is capable of suppressing carbon accumulation even when a reaction is repeated. The catalyst of the present invention includes a CeZr-based oxide, silicon, and a catalytically active metal, wherein the CeZr-based oxide satisfies Ce.sub.xZr.sub.yO.sub.2 (x+y=1) and the silicon satisfies molar ratios of 0.02Si/Zr and 0.01<Si/(Ce+Zr+Si)<0.2. When the catalyst is used, a reduction temperature for generating initial oxygen deficiency can be decreased. Depending on the catalytically active metal, a reduction activation treatment can be performed even at about 20 C. without any need for heating. In a repeated hydrogen generating reaction, the deposition of carbon generated on the surface of the catalyst can be suppressed, and a decrease in catalytic activity can be prevented.

The present invention relates to a process for producing dihydrogen from formic acid. It also relates to the use of the dihydrogen produced by the process of the invention, in a fuel cell, in a combustion engine, in the production of ammonia and methanol, in oil refining, and in the metallurgy, electronics and food sectors. The invention also relates to an energy production process comprising a step of producing dihydrogen from formic acid by the process according to the invention.

A process for preparing a catalyst is disclosed. The process generally comprises the steps of: (a) preparing a slurry comprising clay, zeolite, a sodium-free silica source, quasi-crystalline boehmite, and micro-crystalline boehmite, provided that the slurry does not comprise peptized quasi-crystalline boehmite; (b) adding a monovalent acid to the slurry; (c) adjusting the pH of the slurry to a value above about 3, and (d) shaping the slurry to form particles. This process results in attrition resistant catalysts with a good accessibility.

The present invention provides a Ni nano-cluster supported on MgOCeO.sub.2ZrO.sub.2 catalyst and processes the production of the catalyst. Further, the present invention discloses use of Ni nano-cluster supported on MgOCeO.sub.2ZrO.sub.2 catalyst for the synthesis gas (a mixture of CO and H.sub.2) by tri-reforming of methane. The process provides a direct single step selective vapor phase tri-reforming of methane to synthesis gas over NiOMgOCeO.sub.2ZrO.sub.2 oxide catalyst between temperature range of 600 C. to 800 C. at atmospheric pressure. The process provides a methane conversion of 1-99% with H.sub.2 to CO mole ratio of 1.6 to 2.3.

There is disclosed a surprising reaction of an alkane thiol with a catalyst and heat to become dehydrogenated and form a thiophene rather than an expected desulfurization reaction to form the corresponding alkane or alkene. Moreover, there are disclosed surprising results regarding the form of a catalyst to allow a reaction of an alkane thiol to form the dehydrogenated thiophene at lower temperatures and at higher conversion percentages to allow for more efficient recovery of thiophenes to allow for recycling and reuse of thiophenes to hydrogenate to form alkane thiols. Further still, there is disclosed a set of reaction conditions and catalyst presentation that allows for recovery of usable diatomic hydrogen gas from a dehydrogenation reaction of substituted or unsubstituted cyclic thioethers to substituted or unsubstituted thiophene.

Disclosed is a hydrocarbon gas reforming supported catalyst, and methods for its use, that includes a catalytic material capable of catalyzing the production of a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a hydrocarbon gas, and a support material comprising an alkaline earth metal/metal oxide compound having a structure of D-E, wherein D is a M.sub.1 or M.sub.1M.sub.2, M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 each individually being an alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Ba, and Sr, E is a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2O.sub.4, SiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, and CeO.sub.2, wherein the catalytic material is attached to the support material.

A process for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprises partially oxidizing a feedgas comprising a hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of steam to form a partially oxidized hydrocarbon gas mixture at a temperature >1200 C. and passing the resultant partially oxidized hydrocarbon gas mixture through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, wherein the bed comprises a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a catalytically active metal on an oxidic support wherein the oxidic support for the first layer is a zirconia.

An interconnected set of two or more stages of reactors to form a bio-reforming reactor that generates syngas for a number of different liquid fuel or chemical processes is discussed. A first stage includes a circulating fluidized bed reactor that is configured to cause a chemical devolatilization of the biomass into its reaction products of constituent gases, tars, chars, and other components, which exit through a reactor output from the first stage. A second stage of the bio-reforming reactor has an input configured to receive a stream of some of the reaction products that includes the constituent gases and at least some of the tars as raw syngas, and then chemically reacts the raw syngas within a vessel of the second stage to make the raw syngas from the first stage into a chemical grade syngas by further cracking the tars, excess methane, or both.