The structure, carbon deposition and stability of a ZrOx/Ni-MnOx/SiO2 catalyst for the CO2 reforming of methane

A Zr and Mn co-promoted Ni-based catalyst was prepared using an impregnation method and employed for the dry reforming of methane. Characterization of the catalysts has been performed using XRD, TEM Mapping, XPS, TPR, TPO, TG, TPH and Raman techniques. The results showed that the addition sequence of the Mn and Zr promoters contributed substantially to the structure and activity of the catalyst. A high dispersion of the Ni, Mn and Zr species and strong interactions of the metallic oxides with the support were observed on ZrOx/Ni-MnOx/SiO2 catalysts, which enhanced the formation of polymeric carbon species capable of being gasified by CO2 to release CO and H-2. Under these conditions the ZrOx/Ni-MnOx/SiO2 catalyst exhibited high initial activity and excellent stability.