Synthesis of Cobalt Promoted Nickel-Based Catalyst for CO2 Utilization to Syngas in Dry Reforming of Methane

Syngas production via dry reforming of methane (DRM) has been considered as an attractive route for CO2 utilization into valuable chemical products. However, its industrial implementation is still subjected to the improvement of active catalysts and reduction of coke or carbon formation. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize a highly efficient and coke-resistant nickel-based catalyst by using cobalt (Co) as a dopant. The magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAl2O4) catalyst support was first prepared using a simple modified sol-gel technique and calcined at different temperatures. Then, the ratio of Ni:Co was varied to investigate the effects of Co on the properties and catalytic activities of the Ni-Co/MgAl2O4 catalyst. All the prepared samples were characterized using XRD, BET, FTIR and TPR-H2 before tested in DRM system. The results showed that the increase in calcination temperature led to bigger crystallite size and lower surface area due to higher rates of particle diffusion and thermal sintering. Based on the physicochemical analyses, the 12Ni-12Co/MgAl2O4 catalyst was chosen to be tested in DRM system. It was found that the performance of the DRM in terms of CH4 and CO2 conversions were at par with other catalysts and H2 selectivity up to 62.8 % can be obtained at 850 °C.