Preparation of supported Ni catalysts on various metal oxides with core/shell structures and their tests for the steam reforming of methane

Abstract

Various metal oxide-supported nickel catalysts with core/shell structures such as Ni/Al(2)O(3), Ni/MgO-Al(2)O(3), Ni/CeO(2) and Ni/Ce(0.4)Zr(0.6)O(2) were synthesized in the multibubble sonoluminescence (MBSL) condition, and their catalytic tests for the steam reforming of methane (SRM) to produce hydrogen were performed. The prepared catalysts were analyzed by XRD, TEM and XPS. The reduction properties of the catalysts were measured by thermal programmed reduction (TPR). Among all the Ni catalysts tested, the supported Ni catalysts with core/shell structures of 10% Ni loading on Al(2)O(3) and MgO-Al(2)O(3) performed best in the steam reforming of methane. The supported Ni catalysts with core/shell structures of Ni/Al(2)O(3) and Ni/MgO-Al(2)O(3) yielded a 97% methane conversion with H(2)O/CH(4) = 2 at a reaction temperature of 750 degrees C and showed excellent thermal stability for the first 50 h. Even under a severe condition of H(2)O/CH(4)=1, the methane conversion over those catalysts was about 83% at a reaction temperature of 750 degrees C. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.