Response surface optimization of hydrogen-rich syngas production by methane dry reforming over bimetallic Mn-Ni/La2O3 catalyst in a fixed bed reactor

Abstract

The present work utilizes a response surface optimization technique to optimize hydrogen-rich syngas production through the process of methane dry reforming (DRM). This optimization is achieved by employing a bimetallic Mn–Ni/La2O3 catalyst. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of three key parameters, namely reaction temperature, time on stream (TOS), and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), on the hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO) ratio in syngas during the DRM. The Mn–Ni/La2O3 catalyst, synthesized using the sequential wet impregnation technique, exhibited suitable physicochemical properties necessary for DRM reaction, as evidenced by the obtained characterization data. Among the five models examined, it was found that the quadratic versus 2FI model substantially fit the experimental data, as evidenced by a p-value <0.05. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted on the quadratic response surface model compared to the 2FI model demonstrated that both the reaction temperature and the TOS had a significant impact on the H2/CO ratio in the syngas. The only significant interaction factor was the relationship between the reaction temperature and the TOS. Under the specified optimal circumstances of 15 000 ml/g.h, 850 °C, and 258.15 min, an H2/CO ratio of 0.98 was achieved. The resulting H2/CO ratio of 0.98 is almost 1, indicating its suitability as a feedstock for methanol production in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS).