Recent Developments in Hydrogen Production Catalysts—Patent and Open Literature Survey *

This chapter investigates H₂ production patents in terms of catalyst developments between the years of 2008 and 2014. Hydrogen was supplied to hydroprocessing units via a catalytic reforming process in which hydrogen gas is produced due to a dehydrogenation reaction. The hydrogen gas is a mixture of a high amount of hydrogen and a smaller amount of light ends such as methane, ethane, and propane that are separated from hydrogen in subsequent processes. Hydrogen is generated from different pathways in a refinery in which the values of purity and pressure of hydrogen differ. In general, steam and methane are used as a reactant in the steam reforming process to produce hydrogen as the main product and carbon monoxide. The major concern for the catalysts of steam reforming process to produce hydrogen is formation of coke over the catalyst, which leads to deactivation of the catalyst.