Silicon nitride supported nickel catalyst for partial oxidation of methane to syngas

Silicon nitride supported nickel catalyst prepared by impregnation was employed for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas. The Ni/Si3N4 catalyst was tested in a fixed-bed quartz reactor at 800 °C for 200 h. The experimental results show that the catalyst exhibits not only high activity but also remarkable resistance to coke formation. The conversion of CH4 remained almost constant at about 92%. Temperature jump in the catalyst bed was not detected during the test. The structure and properties of fresh and used catalysts were further analyzed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, temperature programmed reduction and elemental analysis.