CO2 reforming of CH4 over efficient bimetallic Co–Zr/AC catalyst for H2 production

The objective of this paper is to develop, test and characterize the efficient catalyst for carbon dioxide reforming of methane. AC supported CO–Zr bimetallic catalysts for CO2 reforming of methane were prepared by impregnation method. The influence of impregnation method, impregnation amount, calcination temperature and calcination time on activity and stability of the bimetallic catalyst was studied. The reforming reactions were conducted at 650–950 °C and atmospheric pressure using CO2/CH4 with a feed ratio of 1/1. The catalytic performance was assessed through CH4 and CO2 conversions, synthesis gas selectivity (H2/CO) and long-term stability. The optimum loading of CO–Zr bimetallic catalysts exhibited superior catalytic performance and presented better coke suppression. TG-DSC, XRD, SEM-EDX, H2-TPR, XPS, BET were utilized for surface analysis of these formulations. Structural characterization and reaction results suggest that catalyst has a larger surface area, smaller metal particles and better metal dispersion and therefore gives rise to better catalytic performance. The enhanced stability is due to a strong metal–metal and metal-support interaction in the catalyst. The synergistic effect between Co and Zr facilitated to migrate and form Co–Zr clusters on the AC surface, improved the Co dispersion and surface area. This may be the origin of the activity enhancement in dry reforming.