Performance of Co/MgO catalyst for CO2 reforming of toluene as a model compound of tar derived from biomass gasification

Catalytic performances of the CO2 reforming of toluene on Co/MgO catalysts with different cobalt loadings were evaluated in a fluidized-bed reactor. The results showed that the conversion of toluene and the stability of Co/MgO increased, but the apparent reaction rate decreased at the initial stage with increasing the amount of metallic Co formed from the reduction of Co/MgO catalysts at 700 °C. The deactivation of Co/MgO catalysts was mainly resulted from that a part of the metallic Co was oxidized by CO2 and could not be re-reduced by H2 at reaction temperature. Therefore, the excess metallic Co on the higher Co loading catalysts was beneficial to the catalyst stability.

Both of the activity and stability were related with the amount of the metallic Co from the reduced catalysts. The reason for deactivation of Co/MgO catalysts was that a part of the metallic Co oxidized by CO2 could not be re-reduced by H2 at the reaction temperature.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide