Rapid fabrication of Ni supported MgO-ZrO2 catalysts via solution combustion synthesis for steam reforming of methane for hydrogen production

Abstract

In this study, we introduced a solution combustion as a simple, efficient, and rapid technique for synthesis of a nanostructured Ni catalyst supported on MgO-ZrO2 for hydrogen production by steam reforming of methane. A series of Ni/MgO-ZrO2 catalysts with different Ni contents were prepared and investigated to observe a suitable Ni loading content. The evaluation of catalytic performance of the as-prepared catalysts was performed in a packed-bed reactor at 700 °C and atmospheric pressure at steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of 2. As a result, the 20Ni/20MgO-ZrO2 catalyst exhibited not only outstanding catalytic performances, but also minimized coke deposits, attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies of MgO-ZrO2 solid solution. In addition, combustion synthesis could result in formation of NiO-MgO solid solution, boosting uniform dispersion of Ni particles. A durability test of the optimized 20Ni/20MgO-ZrO2 catalyst was conducted at 700 °C for 50 h, revealing a near constant methane conversion of approximately 92.9%. Although filamentous carbon and carbon encapsulation were observed on the surface of spent catalyst, there is no significant negative impact on the steam reforming performance. In conclusion, this present work highlights the efficacy of the solution combustion method for synthesis of nanostructured Ni/MgO-ZrO2 catalysts with superior catalytic performance and less coke deposits for hydrogen production from methane steam reforming.