Fe-Promoted Alumina-Supported Ni Catalyst Stabilized by Zirconia for Methane Dry Reforming

The dry reforming of methane is a highly popular procedure since it can transform two of the most abundant greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide, into useful syngases that can be further processed into valuable chemicals. To successfully achieve this conversion for the effective production of syngas, an optimal catalyst with advantageous physicochemical features must be developed. In this study, a variety of Ni-based catalysts supported by zirconia alumina (5Ni-10Zr + Al) were prepared by using the impregnation approach. Different loadings of Fe promoter were used, and the performances of the resulting catalysts in terms of activity and stability were investigated. The catalyst used in this study had an active metal component made of 5% Ni and x% Fe supported on 10ZrO(2) + Al2O3, where x = (1, 2, 3, and 4). The physicochemical characteristics of both freshly calcined and used catalysts were studied using a range of characterization techniques, such as: N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, XRD, H-2-TPR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, and TEM. An investigation of the effects of the Fe promoter on the catalytic activity of the catalyst (5Ni + xFe-10Zr + Al) was conducted. Amongst the studied catalysts, the 5Ni + 3Fe-10Zr + Al catalyst showed the best catalytic activity with CH4 and CO2 conversions of 87% and 90%, respectively, and had an H-2/CO ratio of 0.98.

Automated summary

The dry reforming of methane is a popular procedure for transforming methane and carbon dioxide into useful syngases. This study investigated a series of Ni-based catalysts supported by zirconia alumina and found that the 5Ni + 3Fe-10Zr + Al catalyst had the best catalytic activity with high conversions of methane and carbon dioxide, as well as a desirable H-2/CO ratio of 0.98.