Ni supported on monoclinic ZrO2 catalyst for syngas production from methane

The catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CH4-CPO) has gained much attention because it produces syngas in a ratio suitable for methanol synthesis and Fischer-Tropsch process. Differently from methane steam reforming, the industrial way to produce syngas, the CH4-CPO reaction is mildly exothermic and thus it can be conducted autothermally. Nickel supported systems (mainly on Al2O3) are active for CH4-CPO, although they suffer from deactivation due to coke deposition. ZrO2 has been considered a good alternative support for Ni, owing to its amphoteric surface properties, stability under oxidizing and reducing environments. The ZrO2 features influence the Ni particle size and the strength of the metal-support interaction, affecting the catalytic performances. In this work a Ni-based catalyst, prepared with monoclinic ZrO2, was characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and tested for the CH4-CPO reaction. Catalytic activity and stability were investigated after redox treatments that affected Ni active sites.