Multicomponent Ni-CeO2 nanocatalysts for syngas production from CO2/CH4 mixtures

The dry reforming of methane with CO2 is a common route to transform CO2/CH4 mixtures into added value syngas. Ni based catalysts are highly active for this goal but suffer from deactivation, as such promoters need to be introduced to counteract this, and improve performance. In this study, mono- and bi-metallic formulations based on 10 wt.% Ni/CeO2-Al2O3 are explored and compared to a reference 10 wt.% Ni/γ-Al2O3. The effect of Sn and Pt as promoters of Ni/CeO2-Al2O3 was also investigated. The formulation promoted with Sn looked especially promising, showing CO2 conversions stabilising at 65% after highs of 95%. Its increased performance is attributed to the additional dispersion Sn promotion causes. Changes in the reaction conditions (space velocity and temperature) cement this idea, with the Ni-Sn/CeAl material performing superiorly to the mono-metallic material, showing less deactivation. However, in the long run it is noted that the mono-metallic Ni/CeAl performs better. As such the application is key when deciding which catalyst to employ in the dry reforming process.