Chemical interaction of Ce-Fe mixed oxides for methane selective oxidation

Abstract

Chemical interaction of Ce-Fe mixed oxides was investigated in methane selective oxidation via methane temperature programmed reduction and methane isothermal reaction tests over Ce-Fe oxygen carriers. In methane temperature programmed reduction test, Ce-Fe oxide behaved complete oxidation at the lower temperature and selective oxidation at higher temperatures. Ce-Fe mixed oxides with the Fe content in the range of 0.1–0.5 was able to produce syngas with high selectivity in high-temperature range (800–900 °C), and a higher Fe amount over 0.5 seemed to depress the CO formation. In isothermal reaction, complete oxidation occurred at beginning following with selective oxidation later. Ce1–xFexO2–δ oxygen carriers (x≤0.5) were proved to be suitable for the selective oxidation of methane. Ce-Fe mixed oxides had the well-pleasing reducibility with high oxygen releasing rate and CO selectivity due to the interaction between Ce and Fe species. Strong chemical interaction of Ce-Fe mixed oxides originated from both Fe* activated CeO2 and Ce3+ activated iron oxides (FeOm), and those chemical interaction greatly enhanced the oxygen mobility and selectivity.