A highly effective and stable nano-sized Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst for gas to liquids (GTL) process

Highly active and stable nano-sized Ni catalysts supported on MgO-Al2O3 prepared from hydrotalcite-like materials have been designed for the combined steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CSCRM), which is a useful process to adjust the H-2/CO ratio for Fischer-Tropsch process. Ni/MgO-Al2O3 exhibits remarkable coke resistance, while commercial Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst shows considerable coke deposition during the target reaction. A strong metal to support interaction (SMSI) of Ni/MgO-Al2O3 enhances coke resistance. The change of the surface area and NiO crystallite size with varying the pre-calcination temperature of support was investigated in relation to the coke resistance. It has been concluded that highly dispersed Ni metal pre-calcined at 800 degrees C shows good coke resistance and high activity. As a consequence, Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst will be a promising catalyst in CSCRM for the GTL process. (C) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.