Spinel oxides as coke-resistant supports for NiO-based oxygen carriers in chemical looping combustion of methane

Abstract

Due to their high activity for methane conversion under a cyclic redox scheme, supported nickel oxides are among the most extensively investigated oxygen carrier materials for chemical looping combustion (CLC) and reforming (CLR) of methane. However, coke formation remains as a key challenge for Ni-containing oxygen carriers. The current study investigates the effect of reducible, spinel-structured supports to enhance coke resistance of NiO-based oxygen carriers. It was hypothesized that reducible supports capable of continued yet slow lattice oxygen donation in the presence of methane can actively retard coke formation on the surface of the oxygen carriers. To evaluate such effects, NiFe2O4, MgFe2O4, and BaFe2O4 are investigated as coke-resistant, reducible supports for NiO using mass spectrometry (MS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) during chemical looping cycles. All three reducible supports were capable of continuous oxygen donation over an extended period of time (>40 min) without signs of coke formation. When used as supports for NiO, the resulting oxygen carriers showed no sign of carbon deposition under typical methane CLC environments. In comparison, NiO supported on inert MgAl2O4 exhibited significant coke formation after only 2.5 min. Moreover, NiO supported on NiFe2O4 and BaFe2O4 exhibited faster redox activity and higher oxygen carrying capacity when compared to the inert MgAl2O4-supported NiO. Detailed investigation of the reduction behavior of NiFe2O4-supported NiO revealed extensive solid-state reactions and Ni/Fe exchanges among the support, NiO, and newly formed phases. Specifically, initial weight loss in NiFe2O4-supported NiO was associated with reduction of the oxygen carrier to metallic Ni and Fe3O4 phases. Subsequent coke inhibition was attributed to the slow reduction of Fe3O4 and FeO phases. Multi-cyclic redox studies indicated that NiFe2O4-supported NiO gradually lost its redox activity. In comparison, both MgFe2O4- and BaFe2O4-supported NiO exhibited satisfactory redox stability, activity, and coke resistance.