Enhanced hydrogen production and carbon-resistance in the dry reforming of methane over M−Ni/KIT-6 catalysts (M = Fe or Cu): Role of the promoters

Abstract

The effects of iron and copper promoter on physicochemical properties of nickel supported on mesoporous silica were investigated. Furthermore, it was correlated to the methane dry reforming catalytic activity. The presence of these promoters played a key role in catalytic activity and stability. An addition of a small dosage of 0.1 wt% copper or iron led to a significant enhancement of in methane conversion. Moreover, the catalytic deactivation was two times slower than the pristine catalyst. The big performance improvement comes from a better interaction between nickel and the support and higher carbon dioxide activation in the presence of the promoters. The hydrogen production in the case of using a promoted catalyst was found more effective than the unpromoted. The study on catalyst deactivation revealed that the formation of coke was the main reason. The high carbon gasification obtained in 0.1 M−10Ni/KIT-6 (M = Fe or Cu) led to good removal of amorphous carbon and therefore, lengthened catalyst lifetime.