Patent ID: 8642004

Claim:
Process for producing hydrogen from ethanol, for implementation in industrial units for production of hydrogen, already existing or not, replacing catalysts of a pre-treatment section or of a pre-reforming section with nickel-based catalysts, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) provide a reactor with a catalytic system, wherein said catalytic system comprises a nickel oxide catalyst on a support selected from the group consisting of alumina, calcium aluminate, magnesium aluminate, alkali metal titanate and mixtures of these compounds in any proportions, and with a promoting element selected from the group consisting of alkali metals and alkaline-earth metals; b) provide said reactor with an ethanol feed, with a space velocity (LHSV) between 0.1 and 10 h −1 and allow contact with the catalytic system; c) provide said reactor simultaneously with steps (a) and (b) with a hydrogen feed, to establish an H 2 /ethanol molar ratio between 0.1 and 1.0; d) provide said reactor simultaneously with steps (a), (b) and (c) with a steam feed, to establish a steam/ethanol molar ratio between 1.0 and 10.0; e) adjust the operating conditions of the reactor to a temperature between 300 and 600° C.; f) allow the conversion of ethanol to a stream containing methane, CO, CO2, H2 and less than 1% olefins in the conditions established in the preceding steps; g) send the mixture of gases produced in step (f) to a unit operating under typical conditions of primary reforming of the industrial steam reforming process to permit the conversion of the methane to CO, CO 2 and H 2 ; h) treat the mixture of gases produced in step (g) by means of typical conditions of the “shift” step of the industrial steam reforming process, to permit the conversion of carbon monoxide to CO 2 and hydrogen; i) purify the hydrogen produced, derived from the shift reactor, by the methods used in the industrial steam reforming process.