Strontium-Promoted Ni-Catalyst Supported over MgO for Partial Oxidation of Methane: Unveiling a Cost-Effective Catalyst System for Fast Mitigation of Methane

CH4 is a powerful greenhouse gas that is thought to be one of the main causes of global warming. The catalytic conversion of methane in the presence of oxygen into hydrogen-rich syngas, known as the partial oxidation of methane (POM), is highly appealing for environmental and synthetic concerns. In search of a cheap catalytic system, the Ni-supported MgO-based (5Ni/MgO) catalyst and the promotional supplement of 1–3 wt.% Sr over 5Ni/MgO are investigated for the POM reaction. Catalysts are characterized by N2 sorption isotherm analysis, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption techniques, and thermogravimetry. Increasing the loading of strontium over Ni/MgO induced a strong interaction of NiO with the support, pronouncedly. In the presence of oxygen during the POM, the moderate-level interaction of NiO with the support grows markedly. Overall, at a 600 °C reaction temperature, the 5Ni2Sr/MgO catalyst shows 72% CH4 conversion (~67% H2 yield) at 14,400 mL/h/gcat GHSV and ~86% CH4 conversion (84% H2 yield) at 3600 mL/h/gcat GHSV. Achieving a higher activity towards the POM over cheap Ni, Sr, and MgO-based catalysts might draw the attention of environmentalists and industrialists as a low-cost and high-yield system.