Optimizing MgO Content for Boosting γ-Al2O3-Supported Ni Catalyst in Dry Reforming of Methane

Abstract

The dry reforming of methane (DRM) process has attracted research interest because of its ability to mitigate the detrimental impacts of greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce alcohols and clean fuel. In view of this importance of DRM, we disclosed the efficiency of a new nickel-based catalyst, which was promoted with magnesia (MgO) and supported over gamma-alumina (γ-Al2O3) doped with silica (SiO2), toward DRM. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The effect of MgO weight percent loading (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt. %) was examined because the catalytic performance was found to be a function of this parameter. An optimum loading of 2.0 wt. % of MgO was obtained, where the conversion of CH4 and CO2 at 800 °C were 86% and 91%, respectively, while the syngas (H2/CO) ratios relied on temperature and were in the range of 0.85 to 0.95. The TGA measurement of the best catalyst, which was operated over a 15-h reaction time, displayed negligible weight loss (<9.0 wt. %) due to carbon deposition, indicating the good resistance of our catalyst system to the deposition of carbon owing to the dopant and the modifier. TEM images showed the presence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, confirming the TGA.