Development of a Co–Ni bimetallic aerogel catalyst for hydrogen production via methane oxidative CO2 reforming in a magnetic assisted fluidized bed

A novel nano-sized Co–Ni bimetallic aerogel catalyst was synthesized via the sol–gel process followed by the supercritical drying method. The catalyst exhibited at least 28% higher activity and 15% higher H2 selectivity than those of a monometallic cobalt aerogel catalyst in methane oxidative CO2 (Oxy-CO2) reforming. Cold-model experiments revealed that channels were alleviated and the agglomerate size was reduced when the catalyst was applied in a magnetic assisted fluidized bed (MAFB). Owing to the improved fluidization quality of the catalyst in the MAFB reactor, CH4 conversion was raised by 12% and 7% as compared with those in the fixed bed reactor and the conventional fluidized bed reactor, respectively. Furthermore, the catalytic performance was quite stable during a 50 h reaction. This stable performance can be illustrated both by the superior catalytic property of the Co–Ni bimetallic aerogel catalyst and the intensified gas–solid interaction in the MAFB reactor.