Highly Stable 3d-Printed Monolithic Al2o3-Supported Ni-Based Structured Catalysts for Dry Reforming of Methane

Abstract

Nickel (Ni)-based powder catalysts with poor stability used in dry reforming of methane (DRM) suffer from severe coking and high bed pressure drop. We successfully prepared a monolithic NiAl2O4/Al2O3 structured catalyst using 3D printed α-Al2O3 topological carrier followed by Ni impregnation and calcination at 1,400 oC to improve the stability and decrease the pressure drop. The Ni/NiAl2O4/Al2O3 structured catalyst reduced from NiAl2O4/Al2O3 could inhibit coke accumulation effectively and exhibit excellent catalytic performance. During the 750-h stability test, Ni/NiAl2O4/Al2O3 structured catalyst exhibited 3% CH4 conversion degradation and 0.37 mgC h-1 gcat-1 coke accumulation rate. The formation mechanisms of two different types of cokes were proposed to explain the performance. Ni/NiAl2O4/Al2O3 structured catalyst also exhibited a lower pressure drop and superior stability than the powder catalyst. This work serves as a guide for preparing the monolithic Ni-based structured catalyst with outstanding stability and low pressure drop for practical application in DRM.

Keywords: 3D printing, Coke accumulation, Dry reforming of methane, Metal-carrier binding, Structured catalyst