MgO and Nb2O5 oxides used as supports for Ru-based catalysts for the methane steam reforming reaction

• Comparative analysis of Ru catalysts on MgO, Nb2O5·nH2O and Nb2O5 towards CH4 SR.
• Ru deposited by IWI from chloride or nitrosyl nitrate precursors.
• MgO, Nb2O5·nH2O and Nb2O5 underwent to different calcination treatments.
• Ru/MgO and Ru/Nb2O5·nH2O good CH4 conversion and CO2 selectivity at 700 °C.
• Catalytic activity depending on Ru0 state and crystallinity of the support.

A comparative analysis of Ru catalysts for low temperature (400–750 °C) methane steam reforming reaction has been performed on magnesia, niobic acid and niobia supports. Ru from chloride or nitrosyl nitrate precursors was deposited by incipient wetness impregnation method on supports calcined in different ways. All of the MgO-supported catalysts were calcined at 400 °C whilst the niobia-based catalysts underwent different calcinations regimes. The catalytic activity towards the methane steam reforming reaction was assessed in a fixed bed quartz reactor with an overall flow rate of 100 N cm3 min−1 (weight space velocity WSV of 33 N cm3 min−1 gcat−1 and steam-to-carbon S/C ratio equal to 4). All of the catalysts showed comparable results, especially the magnesia- and the niobic acid-supported catalysts resulted in high activity at 700 °C, whereas a few of the niobia-supported catalysts achieved complete CH4 conversion. The best performing catalysts were characterized by BET, CO chemisorption, XRD, XPS and SEM analyses.

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