Carbon Deposition Research Articles

Surface basic site effect on CoLa/m-Al2O3 catalysts for dry reforming of methane

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a novel technology that enables the direct utilization of greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2) for the production of value-added products. In the DRM reaction, the acid-base characteristics of the catalyst support play a pivotal role in determining the performance of the catalyst. In this study, a series of Co-based catalysts with different alkali earth metal-modified Al2O3 composite supports, specifically m-Al2O3 (m=Ca, Mg, and Ba), were prepared using the impregnation method. Various characterization techniques were employed to investigate the impact of alkaline site modulation on the support surface with respect to anti-sintering and anti-coking properties. The results demonstrate that the m-Al2O3 composite support catalysts, prepared with Mg and Ca modulation, exhibit an abundance of basic sites and oxygen vacancies. This promotes the adsorption and activation of CO2, enhances the rate of carbon elimination, and effectively addresses carbon deposition and metal sintering issues. Notably, the CoLa/Mg-Al2O3 catalyst shows the highest performance under reaction conditions of 750 °C, with CH4 and CO2 conversions reaching 92.3 % and 97.5 %, respectively. On the other hand, the CoLa/Ba-Al2O3 catalysts display poor performance in dry reforming. Kinetic studies indicate that CoLa/Mg-Al2O3 catalyst significantly reduce the apparent activation energy required for CH4 and CO2 cracking. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the introduction of alkali earth metals can promote the dissociation of CH4 and CO2.

Multi-objective optimization for electric discharge drilling of waspaloy: A comparative analysis of NSGA-II, MOGA, MOGWO, and MOPSO

This study investigates the impact of pulse-on-time (TON), current (I), pulse-off-time (TOFF), voltage (V), and tool electrode speed (TES) on material removal rate (MRR), average surface roughness (Ra), power consumption (PC) and surface defects for electrical discharge drilling (EDD) of Waspaloy. Based on a Taguchi design with five factors and four levels, experimental trials reveal TOFF, TON, and TOFF as the most influential factors, contributing 50.45%, 34.29%, and 33.09% to MRR, Ra, and PC, respectively. To address conflicting conditions and optimize responses, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA), multi-objective grey wolf optimizer (MOGWO), and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) are employed. Comparative analysis of 8 optimal solutions provided by four optimization techniques, which exhibit less than 10% errors in confirmatory experiments, has been done, ensuring better prediction accuracy. MOPSO is preferable to the rest of the optimization techniques due to its lower percentage error. NSGA-II, MOGA, MOGWO, and MOPSO exhibit relative improvement in responses based on confirmatory experiments, establishing them as effective tools for exploring EDD applications. Higher current is confirmed as a primary contributor to increased surface damage through microscopic image analysis, and EDX analysis exposes carbon deposition migration on both the tool and workpiece.

Ferric sludge derived pyrolyzed-hydrochar supported iron catalysts for catalytic cracking of toluene

Effective treatment of ferric sludge in an eco-friendly method is key to the feasibility of Fenton technology in pollution treatment, contributing to the realization of the “dual-carbon” strategic objectives. In this study, Fe-loaded pyrolyzed-hydrochar catalysts were prepared using simple one-pot hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) method with ferric sludge as the precursor, which greatly reduced the energy and time consumption on the preparation of the sludge derived catalyst. At 800 °C with a reaction time of 20 min, all catalysts showed high toluene removal performance (>60 %) and produced H2-rich syngas (H2 > 90 %). In particular, the catalyst prepared by HNO3-assisted HTC (HNC) presented the highest toluene removal efficiency and H2 yield, 77.52 ± 3.36 % and 11.12 ± 0.66 mol%, respectively. Additionally, the sources of carbon deposits and the interaction between the active site and carbon deposits were analyzed in detail by DFT to reveal the catalytic activity and deactivation mechanism of catalyst. The results showed that the adsorption energy of C generated from methyl on different Fe phases was lowest (the adsorption energy of C was −8.79 eV for Fe, −5.28 eV for Fe2O3, and −4.70 eV for Fe3O4), suggesting that the adsorption of C on catalyst was the main reason for the formation of carbon deposits. The lowest adsorption energy of the metallic Fe phase for C indicated that Fe0 was coated by carbon deposits during toluene catalytic cracking, which hampered catalytic activity. These results are of great significance for optimizing the preparation of Fe-loaded carbonaceous catalysts and the regulation of Fe active phase.

Mesoporous silica encapsulated core-shell NiRh@NiO nanocatalyst for performance-enhanced ethanol steam reforming

A novel mesoporous SiO2 encapsulated core-shell NiRh@NiO nanostructure was constructed to enhance the activity and stability of ethanol steam reforming (ESR). At 550 °C and ethanol-WHSV = 21 h−1, the specific activity and conversion loss (17 h) of NiRh@NiO@m-SiO2 were 0.42 molethanol/(gcat.·h) and 10.9 %. The alloying of NiRh core, dominated NiO in shell, and abundant mesopore of SiO2 were confirmed by systematic characterization techniques. The in situ DRIFTS results indicated that alloying Ni and Rh boosted ethoxide dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde and acetate demethanation to carbonate. ReaxFF molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggested that NiO shell was conducive to water activation, which, in turn, promoted the conversion of CHxOy species. The SiO2 encapsulation derived confinement effect inhibited both metal core sintering and leaching caused by the filamentous carbon. The abundant mesopores of SiO2 ensured the facile in-diffusion of water and out-diffusion of carbonaceous products, suppressing carbon deposition within the SiO2 encapsulation and the destruction of core-shell structure.

CO2‐Steam Bi‐Reforming of Methane Over La1−xSrxNi0.8Zr0.2O3 Perovskite Catalysts to Generate Hydrogen Rich Syngas

AbstractThe present study proposes La and Sr‐containing La1−xSrxNi0.8Zr0.2O3 (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) perovskites as potential catalysts for bi‐reforming of methane (BRM) with CO2 and steam to produce hydrogen rich syngas. The catalysts were prepared by sol‐gel method and characterized using various techniques such as XRD, H2‐TPR, BET, CO2‐TPD and CHNS analysis. The characterization studies revealed that metal‐support interaction increased with the increase in the composition of Sr and the reduction behavior of Ni found to vary with the addition of Sr. The total energy calculations reveal that the addition of Sr to the LNZ system shirnks the volume due to low atomic and high ionic radii of Sr over La, which increases the total energy of system driving towards instability with increasing doping concentration of Sr. CO2‐TPD results suggest that a small amount of Sr can change the basicity of the support. The BRM activity results revealed that La0.8Sr0.2Ni0.8Zr0.2O3 perovskite is the most promising and active catalyst. The proposed catalysts are found to be advantageous w.r.t less carbon deposition due to the increased dispersion, small crystalline size, and required basicity of the support. The disclosed catalyst has shown excellent stability for a studied period of 100 h.

Disparity between Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event and Toarcian carbon isotope excursion

AbstractThe Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE, Early Jurassic) is marked by widespread marine deoxygenation and deposition of organic carbon (OC)-rich strata. The genesis of the T-OAE is thought to be associated with environmental changes caused by the emission of 12C-enriched greenhouse gasses (CO2, CH4), manifested in a negative Toarcian carbon isotope excursion (nT-CIE). The nT-CIE is commonly used to stratigraphically define the T-OAE, and despite the complex interrelationship of the different environmental phenomena, both terms (nT-CIE and T-OAE) are commonly used interchangeable. We here demonstrate that occurrence of OC-rich strata is diachronous and not restricted to the nT-CIE, reflecting the interaction of global- and regional-scale processes. Thus, the interchangeable use of T-OAE and nT-CIE should be discarded. The nT-CIE, however, hosts the T-OAE climax, marked by the widest extent of OC-rich strata. Early Toarcian environmental changes, particularly sea level rise and rising temperatures, may have made marine areas more susceptible to develop oxygen deficient conditions, favoring OC-accumulation. Graphical abstract

Crystallographic dependence of carbon deposition in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over cobalt catalysts: HCP versus FCC

A very challenging issue with Co-catalyzed FTS, surface carbon deposition and thus FTS catalyst deactivation, remains unresolved for many years. This research is designed to overcome the challenge by using theoretical calculations together with the FTS experiments. Our theoretical calculations for the first time reveal that HCP Co not only have much higher anti-carbon deposition stability but also exhibits a better anti-carbonization capability than FCC Co; the higher stability of HCP Co is attributed to its much denser active sites with the step B5-type active unit to eliminate surface carbon species. Our FTS experiments confirm the theoretical calculation results. The great dependence of anti-carbon deposition stability on the crystallographic structure and morphology of the catalysts revealed here may open a new avenue for better, stable catalysts with maximum mass-specific reactivity.

Influence of pyrolysis temperature on carbon deposition from the perspective of volatile evolution during the ex-situ pyrolysis-catalysis of plastic

To better understand the mechanism of carbon deposition, the ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene (PE) was explored over a FeNi/Al2O3 catalyst, and the evolution of volatiles as well as the yield and structure of carbon products at different temperatures were analyzed in depth by an in-situ atmospheric pressure photoionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (APPI HRMS) combined with a fixed-bed reactor. The results show that raising the pyrolysis temperature (from 500 to 800 °C) reduces carbon product yield and H2 production, and the proportion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the carbon products decreases. The source of carbon products gradually shifts from liquid-phase carbon sources to gaseous-phase carbon sources. Below 700 °C, both the outer diameter and carbon interlayer spacing of CNTs decrease, while above 700 °C, they both increase along with increased distortion of carbon layers. It is also observed that the carbon layers are connected to the catalyst lattice stripes, and the interlayer spacing of carbon layers is greater than the catalyst lattice spacing. In situ mass spectrometry reveals a significant increase in the carbon number and double bond equivalent (DBE) values of volatiles with increasing pyrolysis temperature, but the rate of increase slows down after 700 °C. Volatiles from lower pyrolysis temperatures undergo severe polymerization, upon entering the catalytic zone at higher temperatures, minimizing temperature-induced distinctions. Nevertheless, it remains evident that volatiles from lower pyrolysis temperatures exhibit less pronounced polymerization when exposed to higher catalytic temperatures.

Contribution of Smoke Aerosols From Wildfires in Indo‐China Peninsula to the Western Pacific Ocean Carbon Sink

AbstractSmoke aerosols from wildfires play a vital role in marine ecosystems and the ocean carbon cycle. This study analyzed a severe wildfires incident occurred in the Indo‐China Peninsula on 26 March 2019, and assessed its impact on ocean carbon sink. The satellite observations showed that the wildfires covered an area of about 56% of the entire peninsula, burning an area of 1.17 × 106 km2. Consequently, the wildfires discharged about 0.43 × 109 kg carbon. Moreover, a substantial amount of smoke released by severe wildfires was carried downstream by the wind and reached the western Pacific Ocean within 2 days. These smoke aerosols contribute to the ocean carbon sink through the mechanisms of the biological pump and their own carbon deposition. Model simulation results showed smoke aerosols contribute 6.44 × 104 kg black carbon to surface ocean by their own carbon deposition. Moreover, during the period of smoke aerosol's deposition, the flourishing growth of phytoplankton resulted in an increased carbon export of 0.25 ± 0.09 × 109 kg carbon (the biological pump mechanism), which represented approximately 57.97% ± 20.30% of the carbon emissions originating from the wildfire‐affected source region. Our research showed a positive impact of large wildfires on the ocean carbon sink, indicating the potential of smoke aerosols to alleviate the climate pressures resulting from carbon dioxide released by wildfires through improving the capacity of ocean carbon sink.

Catalytic upgrading of Naomaohu coal pyrolysis volatiles over NiAl and NiLiAl oxides

Catalytic upgrading of volatiles is an essential technology to improve the product distribution of pyrolysis for the clean and efficient utilization of low-rank coals. In this work, novel acid-base bifunctional catalysts composed of Ni/Li/Al oxides were designed and prepared using LDH precursors with tunable chemical composition and structural properties. The catalysts were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), physisorption, NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), CO2-temperature programmed desorption (CO2-TPD), H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). A two-stage fixed bed reactor was employed to evaluate the performance of the catalysts. Characterization results suggest that the crystal size of NiO and the surface area of the catalyst decreased with increasing Li content and decreasing Ni content in the catalyst, while the pore volume and pore diameter were positively correlated with Li content. Moreover, the addition of Li reduced the amount of weak acid sites and raised the amount of total basic sites. Consequently, the bifunctional catalysts boosted the yield of light tar and the contents of aromatics and phenols in tar. Specifically, with the highest total acid sites (569 μmol/g) promoting the cracking of heavy pitch components, Ni2.5Li0.5Al1 decreased the content of pitch in tar to 23.8 wt%, representing a 42.7 % drop from the corresponding non-catalytic pyrolysis. Accordingly, it improved the light tar yield to 7.2 wt%, which was 18 % higher than non-catalytic pyrolysis. 450 °C is identified as a suitable temperature for the catalytic upgrading of volatiles from Naomaohu coal; higher catalysis temperatures at 500 °C and 550 °C led to lower tar yield and lower phenols content, along with higher gas yield and more carbon deposition.

Design and experimental study of a 300 We class combustion-driven high frequency free-piston Stirling electric generator

Portable electric power generator with a power level of several hundred Watts plays an important role in outdoor activities, emergency relief and tactical power supply. As an external-combustion heat engine with outstanding heat source adaptability, free-piston Stirling generator (FPSG) owns attractive advantages of quietness, high thermal efficiency, and high reliability. This paper proposes a novel ultra-high frequency (UHF) FPSG-based portable power supply system driven by a diesel porous media evaporative combustor (PMEC). An experimental setup was designed and built based on the quasi-one-dimension thermoacoustic impedance matching of the FPSG and three-dimension thermal coupling of steady combustion and alternating flow between FPSG and combustor. The fundamental operating characteristics of the system were investigated in terms of combustion powers and electric loads. Preliminary experimental results show that a maximum output electric power of 350 We at a heating temperature of 875 K and a maximum fuel-to-electric efficiency of 11.98% were obtained. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were employed to delve into the intricate combustion and heat transfer processes, unveiling the formation of carbon deposits and confirming the efficacy of cyclone holes in reducing carbon deposition. This pioneering exploration of 130 Hz UHF and evaporative-combustion coupled heat transfer successfully showcases the feasibility of constructing a high-specific-power FPSG-based portable power system.

CO2 reforming of ethane using Ni-La intermetallic sites within a nanocapsule framework

CO2 reforming of light alkanes from unconventional gas resources (shale gas/coalbed gas) presents an attractive route to achieve CO2 utilization and valuable chemical production. However, it remains challenging in both high stability and product selectivity due to the inevitable strong competition between dry reforming and oxidative dehydrogenation pathways. We report here a La modified Ni@SiO2 nanocapsule as the thermal-catalyst for CO2 reforming of ethane, achieving complete ethane conversion and remarkable CO2 conversion of 86.5 %, with stability for more than 200 h experiencing no carbon deposition. Detailed kinetic study, in situ characterizations and DFT calculation results revealed that the formation of NiLa intermetallic sites improved the adsorption of active oxygen species and activation of C2H6, which stabilized the key intermediate CH3CH2O* as well as the subsequent C2* cracking to CHx(O)*, leading to high selectivity toward syngas. Meanwhile, the removal of carbon deposits on Ni-La2O3 interfaces are faster than Ni surface. The synergism of spatial confinement structure provided by the nanocapsule with sufficient mechanical strength together with the chemical Ni-La2O3 interface of the enwrapped Ni-La mixed metal (oxide) NPs can timely eliminate C2* intermediates, which results in the most effective anti-coking ability during ethane reforming. This work highlights a tangible process towards unconventional (C2+) gas utilization with fine-tunable nanoreactor catalysts.

Experimental evaluation of the significance of scheduled turbocharger reconditioning on marine diesel engine efficiency and exhaust gas emissions

Poor clearances, misalignments, and carbon deposits in a turbocharger due to high running hours can decrease engine efficiency. This study analyzes the effects of turbocharger reconditioning on the performance and emissions formation of a marine diesel generator engine. The engine test experiments were performed on a university training ship's auxiliary diesel engine with 4309 running hours before and after the TC overhaul. As a result, cylinder peak pressure was increased by a maximum of 3.57 % while fuel saving of 5–8 g/kWh was realized. Lower exhaust gas temperatures and improved charge air pressure by up to 7.7 % were recorded. A significant CO emission reduction of 21.6 % was recorded at idle load whereas NOx and CO2 emissions were reduced to a maximum of 4.86 % and 7.30 % at 50 % engine load. The results indicate that scheduled TC overhaul and maintenance are very useful to improve the engine’s fuel economy, and performance and reduce exhaust emissions.

Enhanced CO2 conversion with CH4 for greenfuel generation using coke-neutral nickel-loaded fibrous silica titania catalysts

This study reveals a groundbreaking advancement in utilizing carbon dioxide (CO2) for syngas production through methane (CH4) dry reforming using Fibrous Silica Titania (FST) as a support, loaded with different (1%, 3%, and 5%) nickel dosages. FST is distinguished by its fibrous structure, maintains a stable temperature, facilitates the confinement and dispersion of active metal, and is exceptionally effective at preventing carbon deposition. For a thorough examination of the new catalysts, characterization methods including XRD, FESEM, EDX mapping, N2 physisorption, FTIR-KBr, H2-TPR, and CO2-TPD were employed. Importantly, TEM lattice fringes verified the existence of XRD peaks and planes of Ni (111), Ni (200), and TiO2 (101). Aspects such as O-H stretching, Si-O-Si asymmetry, vibrations caused by external Si-OH groups, and Si-O-Si bending were identified using FTIR-KBr analysis. The study ingeniously identified the superior (3Ni/FST) catalyst, which exhibited moderate basicity sites on the CO2-TPD at approximately 350 °C. The catalyst converted nearly 100% CH4 at 750 °C with minimal coke production and 80% CO2 at 850 °C. Surprisingly, the 3Ni/FST catalyst demonstrated remarkable stability during a 72 h TOS stability test at 650 °C, effectively preventing coke-forming side reactions such as CO disproportionation, CO hydrogenation, CO2 and CH4 cracking with syngas ratio around unity and little coke production. The FST support exhibited exceptional attributes for low temperature carbon neutral CH4 reforming.

Jet fuel production via palm oil hydrodeoxygenation over bifunctional zeolite mixture supported Ni catalyst: Effect of Si/Al ratio

The influence of the Si/Al ratio of ZSM-5 on 10 wt% Ni/ZSM-5.SAPO-11 catalysts were investigated through the palm oil hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process, based on the product selectivity of alternative jet fuel. This study utilizes a 1 L batch reactor at 60 bar and 350 °C for palm oil hydrodeoxygenation over 10 wt% Ni/ZSM-5.SAPO-11 catalysts. Si/Al ratio of 50 produces a 10 wt% Ni/ZSM-5.SAPO-11 catalyst with the optimum physicochemical properties for palm oil hydrodeoxygenation. TGA/DTG analysis of the spent catalyst shows that the catalyst has good thermal and catalyst stability with minor carbon deposition. GC/MS analysis also demonstrated a 100 % palm oil conversion to alternative jet fuel. The highest jet fuel yield of 51 % was attained with a Si/Al ratio of 50. The physicochemical properties of alternative jet fuel samples were measured to ensure that the conventional fuel standard limits were appropriately followed. These results indicated that such types of bifunctional Ni-based catalysts have the potential to be used in the conversion of triglycerides to alternative jet fuel.

Tailoring the A and B site of Fe-based perovskites for high selectivity in the reverse water-gas shift reaction

The reverse water-gas shift reaction (rWGS) is of particular interest as it is the first step to producing high-added-value products from carbon dioxide (CO2) and renewable hydrogen (H2), such as synthetic fuels or other chemical building blocks (e.g. methanol) through a modified Fischer-Tropsch process. However, side reactions and material deactivation issues, depending on the conditions used, still make it challenging. Efforts have been put into developing and improving scalable catalysts that can deliver high selectivity while at the same time being able to avoid deactivation through high temperature sintering and/or carbon deposition. Here we design a set of perovskite ferrites specifically tailored to the hydrogenation of CO2 via the reverse water-gas shift reaction. We tailor the oxygen vacancies, proven to play a major role in the process, by partially substituting the primary A-site element (Barium, Ba) with Praseodymium (Pr) and Samarium (Sm), and also dope the B-site with a small amount of Nickel (Ni). We also take advantage of the exsolution process and manage to produce highly selective Fe-Ni alloys that suppress the formation of any by-products, leading to up to 100% CO selectivity.

Improved biomass burning emissions from 1750 to 2010 using ice core records and inverse modeling

Estimating fire emissions prior to the satellite era is challenging because observations are limited, leading to large uncertainties in the calculated aerosol climate forcing following the preindustrial era. This challenge further limits the ability of climate models to accurately project future climate change. Here, we reconstruct a gridded dataset of global biomass burning emissions from 1750 to 2010 using inverse analysis that leveraged a global array of 31 ice core records of black carbon deposition fluxes, two different historical emission inventories as a priori estimates, and emission-deposition sensitivities simulated by the atmospheric chemical transport model GEOS-Chem. The reconstructed emissions exhibit greater temporal variabilities which are more consistent with paleoclimate proxies. Our ice core constrained emissions reduced the uncertainties in simulated cloud condensation nuclei and aerosol radiative forcing associated with the discrepancy in preindustrial biomass burning emissions. The derived emissions can also be used in studies of ocean and terrestrial biogeochemistry.

The effect of Ce promotor on catalytic performance of Zn/ZSM-5 in coaromatization of methanol and n-hexane

Ce modified Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst was prepared and the effect of Ce promotor on coaromatization of methanol and n-hexane was studied. The physical and chemical properties of Zn–Ce/HZ were tested by XRD, XPS, TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption and Py-FTIR. The loading of Ce tuned the acidity distribution and increased the LAS/BAS ratio, and mainly reduced the microporous specific surface area. Most of Zn and Ce elements entered the zeolite channels. The loading of Ce enhanced the interactions between Zn species and support and significantly increased the numbers of active centers of ZnOH+ species. Under the optimized conditions, the yield of aromatics was greatly improved from 25.2 % of HZ to 62.6 %. The reasons of deactivation were also analyzed. The higher the aromatization activity, the more the formed carbon deposit. The blockage of micropores and the greatly coverage of acid sites by carbon deposit thus resulted in poor catalytic performance.

Gasification Reaction on CeO2(111) and Effects on the Structural and Electronic Properties of Adsorption Molecules

AbstractProducing hydrogen (H2) from biomass gasification offers exceptional benefits regarding renewable energy sources, zero‐carbon emission, cost‐effective processes, and high efficiency. The addition of catalysts to biomass gasification could accelerate the process and minimize the formation of coke. However, the catalyst deactivation caused by carbon deposition, poisoning, and sintering is still a significant problem in the gasification process. Therefore, achieving sustainable exploitation of the renewable natural resource of biomass requires substantial development and optimization of the present gasification process. The efficiency of gasification might decrease because of such a process. In this study, CeO2(111) is chosen to investigate the analysis of adsorption molecules during catalytic gasification using the density functional theory method. Three catalyst models, CeO2(111), Zr‐CeO2(111), and Ni‐CeO2(111), have been studied in this work in terms of structural, electronic, and adsorption molecule properties. The structural and electronic properties of the modified catalyst model show the ligand and strain effect on the alloy, with the addition of Zr and Ni as second metals promoting the adsorption capability. Searching for active sites is also carried out by adsorption of selected atoms and molecules and used as a preliminary study to find possible active sites for gasification reactions. The Zr‐CeO2(111) and Ni‐CeO2 catalysts exhibit better adsorption ability on atomics and molecules. The Zr and Ni metals are suitable second metal candidates for the catalyst to proceed with the gasification reaction and simultaneously reduce carbon deposition, poisoning, and sintering problems.

Specific adsorptive properties and anodic polarization characteristics for hydrogen and methane in the Ni1-xCox solid-solution alloy combined with yttria-stabilized zirconia

The Ni-based cermet anode of a solid oxide fuel cell is prone to deactivation for the direct supply of CH4 due to carbon deposition. Discovered are specific adsorptive properties of Ni1-xCox solid-solution alloy catalysts combined with yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni1-xCox-YSZ) using the temperature-programmed desorption technique. Decreasing the activation energy in the thermal desorption of adsorbed CH4 and CO from Ni1-xCox-YSZ accounts for minimizing the anodic polarization of the Ni/YSZ cermet by Co alloying in the electrochemical oxidation of CH4, suppressing carbon deposition.