New Co-Ni catalyst systems used for methane dry reforming based on supported catalysts over an INT-MM1 mesoporous material and a perovskite-like oxide precursor LaCo0.4Ni0.6O3

To obtain a new, better-dispersed catalytic material on a stable substrate for the production of H2 and CO by reforming of CH4 with CO2, a series of supported Ni-Co catalysts (designated C1, C2, C3 and C6) was prepared by impregnation of a mesoporous silica material (INT-MM1). Catalyst reactivity was compared with a LaCo0.4Ni0.6O3 perovskite-like oxide synthesized by the citrate sol-gel method. All materials were characterized by several physico-chemical techniques: AA, EDX, XDR, IR, BET surface area and TPR. Significant differences in activity and product distribution were observed among the catalytic systems in the reforming reaction. The supported materials were active for the reaction, but selectivity for H2 depended on the bimetallic composition of each solid. The different product distributions observed could be attributed to the properties of the support and their interaction with the metals. Among all of the solids investigated, C3 was the most selective toward the production of H2, reaching values of 78%, and the perovskite-like oxide precursor was the most active solid, with conversion of 91%. Both catalyst systems have the same Co/Ni metal ratio (≅0.7) and were very stable for up to 100 h on stream.