Oxygen vacancies enriched Ni-Co/SiO_(2)@CeO_(2) redox catalyst for cycling methane partial oxidation and CO_(2) splitting

Redox catalysts play a vital role in the interconversion of two significant greenhouse gases,CO_(2)and CH_(4),via chemical looping methane dry reforming technology.Herein,a series of transition metals-alloyed and core-shell structured Ni-M/SiO_(2)@CeO_(2)(M=Fe,Co,Cu,Mn,Zr)redox catalyst were fabricated and evaluated in a gas-solid fixed-bed reactor for cycling CH_(4)partial oxidation(PO_(x))and CO_(2)splitting.The catalysts are composed of spherical SiO_(2)core and CeO_(2)shell,and the highly dispersed Ni alloy nanoparticles are the interlayer between core and shell.The oxygen vacancy concentration of Ni-M/SiO_(2)@CeO_(2)followed the order of Co>Cu>Fe>Mn>Zr,and Ni alloying with transition metals significantly enhanced oxygen storage capacity(OSC).Ni-Co/SiO_(2)@CeO_(2)catalyst with abundant oxygen vacancies and a high OSC showed the lowest temperatures of CH_(4)activation(610℃)and CO_(2)decomposition(590℃),thus demonstrating excellent redox reactivity.The catalyst exhibited superior activity and structural stability in the continuous CH_(4)/CO_(2)redox cycles at 615℃,achieving 87%CH_(4)conversion and 83%CO selectivity.The proposed catalyst shows great potential for the utilization of CH_(4)and CO_(2)in a redox mode,providing a new sight for design redox catalyst in chemical looping or related fields.

CeO_2 as the Oxygen Carrier for Partial Oxidation of Methane to Synthesis Gas in Molten Salts: Thermodynamic Analysis and Experimental Investigation

A new technique -- the direct partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas using lattice oxygen in molten salts medium has been introduced. Using CeO2 as the oxygen carrier, thermodynamic data were calculated in the reaction process, and the results indicated that direct partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas using lattice oxygen of cerium oxide is feasible in theory. In a stainless steel reactor, the effects of temperature and varying amounts of γ-Al2O3 supported CeO2 on cn4 conversion, H2 and CO selectivity, were investigated, respectively. The results show that 10% CeO2/γ-Al2O3 has the maximal reaction activity at a temperature of 865 ℃ and above, the H2/CO ratio in the gas that has been produced reaches 2 and the CH4 conversion, H2 and CO selectivity reached the following percentages： i.e. 61%, 89%, and 91% at 870 ℃, respectively. In addition, increase of reaction temperature is favorable for the partial oxidation of methane.

Additive effects of alkaline-earth metals and nickel on the performance of Co/γ-Al_2O_3 in methane catalytic partial oxidation

Nano-sized γ-alumina （γ-Al2O3） was first prepared by a precipitation method. Then, active component of cobalt and a series of alkaline- earth metal promoters or nickel （Ni） with different contents were loaded on the γ-Al2O3 support. The catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and thermogravimetry analysis （TGA）. The activity and selectivity of the catalysts in catalytic partial oxidation （CPO） of methane have been compared with Co/γ-Al2O3, and it is found that the catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability are enhanced by the addition of alkaline-earth metals and nickel. The optimal loadings of strontium （Sr） and Ni were 6 and 4 wt%, respectively. This finding will be helpful in designing the trimetallic Co-Ni-Sr/γ-Al2O3 catalysts with high performance in CPO of methane

Synthesis of Ni-CeO_2 catalyst for the partial oxidation of methane using RF thermal plasma

Ni‐CeO2 catalysts with a nickel content of 50 mol% were prepared using RF thermal plasma, and their catalytic activities for methane partial oxidation were characterized. For the synthesis of Ni‐CeO2 catalysts, a precursor containing Ni（～5‐μm diameter） and CeO2（～200‐nm diameter）powders were heated simultaneously using an RF plasma at a power level of ～52 kVA and a powder feeding rate of ～120 g/h. From the X‐ray diffraction data and transmission electron microscopy images, the precursor formed into high crystalline CeO2 supports with nanosized Ni particles（ 50‐nm diameter） on their surfaces. The catalytic performance was evaluated under atmospheric pressure at 500 °C and a CH4：O2 molar ratio of 2：1 with Ar diluent. Although the Ni content was high（～50 mol%）, the experimental results reveal a methane conversion rate of 70%, selectivities of CO and H2 greater than 90% and slight carbon coking during an on‐stream test at 550 °C for 24 h.However, at 750 °C, the on‐stream test revealed the formation of filament‐like carbons with an increased methane conversion rate over 90%.

Thermodynamic Study on the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas

the catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas (CO + H_2)has been simulated thermodynamically with the advanced processsimulator PRO/II. The influences of temperature, pressure, CH_4/O_2ratio and steam addition in feed gas on the conversion of CH_4selectively to syngas and eat duty required were investigated, andtheir effects on carbon formation were also discussed. The simulationresults were in good agreement with the literature data taken from aspouted bed reactor.

Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane over Ni/CeO_2-ZrO_2-Al_2O_3

Nickel catalysts supported on CeO2-ZrO2-CeO2,ZrO2-Al2O3 and Al2O3 were prepared and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction（XRD）,BET areas,H2 temperature-programmed reduction（H2-TPR）,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）.Through the test of catalytic partial oxidation of methane（CPOM）,Ni/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 displayed the highest activity,which resulted from its largest BET area and best NiO dispersion.Furthermore,Ni/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 maintained a long-time stability in CPOM,which was attributed to its best coking resistance among all the prepared catalysts.

Effect of Cu promoter on Ni-based SBA-15 catalysts for partial oxidation of methane to syngas

A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with 5wt% to 15wt% Ni content as well as a series of 12.5%Ni/Cu/SBA-15 catalysts with 1% to 10% copper content were prepared by the impregnation method. The catalytic performance for partial oxidation of methane was investigated in a continuous flow microreactor under atmospheric pressure. The textural and chemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, BET and Hz-TPR techniques. The results indicated that the catalysts modified with Cu promoter showed better performance than those without modification. For the 12.5%Ni/2.5%/Cu/SBA-15 catalyst, at 850 ℃ the conversion of CH4 reached 97.9% and the selectivity of CO and H2 reached 98.0% and 96.0%, respectively. In XRD patterns of the Ni/Cu/SBA-15 catalyst with 7.5 to 10% Cu contents there were CuO characteristic peaks beside NiO characteristic peaks. The mesoporous structure of SBA-15 was retained in all of the catalysts. TPR analysis of the catalysts revealed that a strong interaction between Ni, Cu promoter and SBA-15 support may be existed. This interaction enhanced significantly the redox properties of the catalysts resulting in the higher catalytic activity.

Application of in-plasma catalysis and post-plasma catalysis for methane partial oxidation to methanol over a Fe_2O_3-CuO/γ-Al_2O_3 catalyst

Methane partial oxidation to methanol （MPOM） using dielectric barrier discharge over a Fe2O3-CuO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was performed.The multicomponent catalyst was combined with plasma in two different configurations,i.e.,in-plasma catalysis （IPC） and post-plasma catalysis （PPC）.It was found that the catalytic performance of the catalysts for MPOM was strongly dependent on the hybrid configuration.A better synergistic performance of plasma and catalysis was achieved in the IPC configuration,but the catalysts packed in the discharge zone showed lower stability than those connected to the discharge zone in sequence.Active species,such as ozone,atomic oxygen and methyl radicals,were produced from the plasma-catalysis process,and made a major contribution to methanol synthesis.These active species were identified by the means of in situ optical emission spectra,ozone measurement and FT-IR spectra.It was confirmed that the amount of active species in the IPC system was greater than that in the PPC system.The results of TG,XRD,and N2 adsorption-desorption revealed that carbon deposition on the spent catalyst surface was responsible for the catalyst deactivation in the IPC configuration.

Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas over Monolithic Ni/γ-Al_2O_3 Catalyst——Effects of Rare Earths and Other Basic Promoters

A series of monolithic Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts with and without basic promoters （Na, Sr, La, Ce） were prepared. Partial oxidation of methane （POM） to syngas was carried out in a continuous-flow, fixed-bed reactor. The influences of reaction conditions, including temperature, CH4/O2 ratio and space velocity, on the performance of the catalyst were investigated. The results show that at a high space velocity of 1 ×10^5 h^-1, optimal CH4 conversion can be obtained. Effects of promoters such as Na, Sr, Ce, La were also investigated, and the catalyst samples were characterized by means of temperature-programmed reduction and XRD techniques. XRD suggests that the addition of promoters has no influence on the crystal structure of Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. The results show that the addition of a small amount of promoters improves the reducibility and activity of the catalyst. The side reaction CH4 ＋ 2O2→CO2 ＋ H2O, is fully restrained and 100% H2 selectivity is achieved when Ce and La are used as promoters, respectively.

Effect of CeO_2 and CaO Promoters on Ignition Performance for Partial Oxidation of Methane over Ni/MgO-Al_2O_3 Catalyst

The effect of CeO2 and CaO promoters on the ignition performance over Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst for the partial oxidation of methane （POM） to synthesis gas was investigated. It was found that the POM reaction could not be ignited over lwt%Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst without the promoters in the temperature range from 773 K to 1073 K. CeO2 and CaO promoters enhanced the ignition performance and the POM reactivity of lwt%Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalyst remarkably. Moreover, the improving effect became greater with the increase of the promoter content under the investigated reactiorrconditions. The modification effects of CeO2 and CaO promoters were closely related to the concentration and reducibility of the surface and bulk oxygen species.

Preparation and Characterization of a Perovskite-type Mixed Conducting SrFe0.6Cu0.3Ti0.1O3-δ Membrane for Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas

Dense membrane with the composition of SrFe0.6Cu0.3Ti0.1O3-δ （SFCTO） was prepared by solid state reaction method. Oxygen permeation flux through this membrane was investigated at operating temperature ranging from 750℃ to 950℃ and different oxygen partial pressure. XRD measurements indicated that the compound was able to form single-phased perovskite structure in which part of Fe was replaced by Cu and Ti. The oxygen desorption and the reducibility of SFCTO powder were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and temperature programmed reduction analysis, respectively. It was found that SFCTO had good structure stability under low oxygen pressure at high temperature. The addition of Ti increased the reduction temperature of Cu and Fe. Performance tests showed that the oxygen permeation flux through a 1.5 mm thick SFCTO membrane was 0.35-0.96 ml·min ^-1·cm^-2 under air/helium oxygen partial pressure gradient with activation energy of 53.2 kJ·mol^-1. The methane conversion of 85%, CO selectivity of 90% and comparatively higher oxygen permeation flux of 5 ml·min^-1·cm^- 2 were achieved at 850℃, when a SFCTO membrane reactor loaded with Ni-Ce/Al2O3 catalyst was applied for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas.

Partial oxidation of methane in Ba_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.1)Ni_(0.1)O_(3-δ) ceramic membrane reactor

Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.1Ni0.1O3δ（BSCFNiO） perovskite oxides were synthesized using a combined EDTA-citrate complexation method,and then pressed into disk and applied in a membrane reactor.The performance of the BSCFNiO membrane reactor was studied for partial oxidation of methane over Ni/α-Al 2 O 3 catalyst.The time dependence of oxygen permeation rate and catalytic performance of BSCFNiO membrane during the catalyst initiation stage were investigated at 850 C.In unsteady state,oxygen permeation rate,methane conversion and CO selectivity were closely related to the state of the catalyst.After 300 min from the initial time,the reaction condition reached to steady state and oxygen permeation rate were obtained about 11.7cm 3 cm 2 min 1.Also,the performance of membrane reactor was studied at the temperatures between 750 and 950 C.The results demonstrated good performance for the membrane reactor,as CH 4 conversion and CO selectivity permeation rate reached 98% and 97.5%,respectively,and oxygen permeation rate was about 14.5 cm 3 cm 2 min 1 which was 6.8 times higher than that of air-helium gradient.Characterization of membrane surface by SEM after reaction showed that the original grains disappeared on both surfaces exposed to the air and reaction side,but XRD profile of the polished surface membrane indicated that the membrane bulk preserved the perovskite structure.

Effect of different mixing ways in palladium/ceria-zirconia/alumina preparation on partial oxidation of methane

The effect of the mixing ways of Ce0.7Zr0.3O2-Al2O3 mixed oxides on the partial oxidations of methane （POM） was investigated over Pd/Ce0.7Zr0.3O2-Al2O3 catalysts, the mixing ways including salt precursor mixing （ATOM）, precipitator mixing （MOL）, and powder mechanically mixing （MECH）, respectively. The test results indicated that among the three samples, Pd/ATOM had the best catalytic activity while Pd/MOL had the best stability in the stability test. Both the activity sequences of the fresh and used samples were consistent with the order of Pd dispersion. According to the X-ray diffraction （XRD） and BET characterization, the interaction of Ce^4＋, Zr^4＋, and Al^3＋ in the ATOM mixed oxide was in favor of performing higher catalytic activity and thermal stability. The stability test indicated that Pd/MOL had the highest Pd dispersion and least coke formation on the active sites calculated by the Hz-chemisorption and TG results, which was considered to relate to its superior activity of POM to other catalysts.

Partial oxidation of dimethyl ether to H_2/syngas over supported Pt catalyst

Dimethyl ether （DME） is a non-toxic fuel with high H/C ratio and high volumetric energy density, and could be served as an ideal source of H2/syngas production for application in solid oxide fuel cells （SOFC）. This study presents results of DME partial oxidation over a 1.5 wt% Pt/Ce0.4Zr0.6O2 catalyst under the condition of gas hourly space velocity （GHSV） of 15000-60000 ml/（g·h）, molar ratio of O2/DME of 0.5 and 500-700 ℃, and this temperature range was also the operation temperature range for intermediate temperature SOFC. The results indicated that the catalyst showed good activity for the selective partial oxidation of DME to H2/syngas. Under the working conditions investigated, DME was completely converted. Increase in reaction temperature enhanced the amount of syngas, but lowered the H2/CO ratio and yield of methane; while increase in reaction GHSV resulted in only slight variation in the distribution of products. The good catalytic activity of Pt supported on Ce0.4Zr0.6O2 for the partial oxidation of DME may be directly associated with the good oxygen storage capacity of the support, which is worth of further investigation to develop materials for application in SOFC.

Oscillations during partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over Ru/Al_2O_3 catalyst

Oscillations in temperatures of catalyst bed as well as concentrations of gas phase species at the exit of reactor were observed during the partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over Ru/Al2O3 in the temperature range of 600 to 850℃. XRD, H2-TPR and in situ Raman techniques was used to characterize the catalyst. Two types of ruthenium species, i.e. the ruthenium species weakly interacted with Al2O3 and that strongly interacted with the support, were identified by H2-TPR experiment. These species are responsible for two types of oscillation profiles observed during the reaction. The oscillations were the result of these ruthenium species switching cyclically between the oxidized state and the reduced state under the reaction condition. These cyclic transformations, in turn, were the result of temperature variations caused by the varying levels of the strongly exothermic CH4 combustion and the highly endothermic CH4 reforming （with H2O and CO2） reactions （or the less exothermic direct partial oxidation of methane to CO and H2）, which were favored by the oxidized and the metallic sites, respectively. The major pathway of synthesis gas formation over the catalyst was via the combustion-reforming mechanism.

Partial oxidation of methane over SiO2 supported Ni and NiCe catalysts

Nickel and nickel-ceria catalysts supported on high surface area silica, with 6 wt% Ni and 20 wt% CeO2 were prepared by microwave assisted(co) precipitation method. The catalysts were investigated by XRD,TPR and XPS analyses and they were tested in partial oxidation of methane(CPO). The catalytic reaction was carried out at atmospheric pressure in a temperature range of 400–800℃ with a feed gas mixture containing methane and oxygen in a molecular ratio CH4/O2=2. The Ni catalyst exhibited 60% methane conversion with 60% selectivity to CO already at 500℃. On the contrary, the Ni–Ce catalyst was inert to CPO up to 700℃. Moreover, the former catalyst reproduced its activity at the descending temperatures maintaining a good stability at 600℃, over a reaction time of 80 h, whereas the latter one completely deactivated. Test of CH4 temperature programmed surface reaction(CH4-TPSR) revealed a higher methane activation temperature(> 100℃) for the Ni–Ce catalyst as compared to the Ni one. Noticeable improvement of the ceria containing catalyst occurred when the reaction test started at a temperature higher than the methane decomposition temperature. In this case, the sample achieved the same catalytic behavior of the Ni catalyst. As confirmed by XPS analyses, the distinct electronic state of the supported nickel was responsible for the differences in catalytic behavior.

Direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol:Reaction zones and role of catalyst location

Direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol was investigated in a specially designed reactor. Methanol yield of about 7%-8% was obtained in gas phase partial oxidation. It was proposed that the reactor could be divided into three reaction zones, namely pre-reaction zone, fierce reaction zone, and post-reaction zone, when the temperature was high enough to initiate a reaction. The oxidation of methane proceeded and was completed mostly in the fierce reaction zone. When the reactant mixture entered the post-reaction zone, only a small amount of produced methanol would bring about secondary reactions, because molecular oxygen had been exhausted in the fierce reaction zone. A catalyst, if necessary, should be placed either in the pre-reaction zone, to initiate a partial oxidation reaction at a lower temperature, or in the fierce reaction zone to control the homogeneous free radical reaction.

Influence of Supports on Catalytic Performance and Carbon Deposition of Palladium Catalyst for Methane Partial Oxidation

The catalytic performance of methane partial oxidation was investigated on Pd/CeO2-ZrO2 and Pd/α-Al2O3 catalysts.The catalysts were characterized by XRD,Raman spectra,and TG-DTA techniques.The results show that CeO2-ZrO2 support is more advantageous for the catalytic activity and stability of catalysts compared to α-Al2O3.TG-DTA and Raman spectra results indicated that carbon deposited on the catalysts was in the form of graphite,which is the main reason for the deactivation of catalysts after a 24-hour reaction.Moreover,CeO2-ZrO2 had positive effect on inhibiting carbon deposition.

Recent Results on Fast Flow Gas-Phase Partial Oxidation of Lower Alkanes

Recent experimental results and kinetic modeling of fast flow gas-phase oxidation of methane and other lower alkanes to methanol and other oxygenates are discussed, alongside with prospects and possible areas for applications of the processes.

Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane with Air to Syngas in a Pilot-Plant-Scale Spouted Bed Reactor

On the basis of hydrodynamic and scaling-up studies, a pilot-plant-scale thermal spouted bed reactor (50 mm in ID and 1500 mm in height) was designed and fabricated by scaling-down cold simulators. It was tested for making syngas via catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methane by air. The effects of various operating conditions such as operating pressure and temperature, feed composition, and gas flowrate etc. on the CPO process were investigated. CH4 conversion of 92.2% and selectivity of 92.3% and 83.3% to CO and H2, respectively, were achieved at the pressure of 2.1 MPa. It was found that when the spouted bed reactor was operated within the stable spouting flow regime, the temperature profiles along the bed axis were much more uniform than those operated within the fixed-bed regime. The CH4 conversion and syngas selectivity were found to be close to thermodynamic equilibrium limits. The results of the present investigation showed that spouted bed could be considered as a potential type of chemical reactor for the CPO process of methane.