PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE TO CARBON-MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN OVER NIOLA2O3/GAMMA-AL2O3 CATALYST/

The production of H-2 and CO by catalytic partial oxidation of CH4 at atmospheric pressure has been examined over NiO/gamma-Al2O3 and NiO/La 2O3/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts. When NiO loading increased to 17.5 wt.-%, t he syngas production over NiO/gamma-Al2O3 is found to increase consist ently. In that case, the addition of La2O3 can improve the catalytic a ctivity significantly, with a NiO content of more than 17.5 wt.-%, a v ery small extent of change in the catalytic activity and the selectivi ty for the methane oxidation to syngas as well as a little effect of L a2O3 on the activity and the selectivity are observed. Under the condi tion of high space velocity, the CO2 and H2O reforming of CH4 occurs t o a very small extent over reduced 12.5 wt.-% NiO/0.5 wt.-% La2O3/gamm a-Al2O3 catalyst. This fact and the results of the effect of space vel ocity on the methane partial oxidation to syngas suggest that both H-2 , CO and CO2, H2O are the primary products of the methane oxidation. T he results of characterizing 12.5 wt.-% NiO/0.5 wt.-% La2O3/gamma-Al2O 3 catalyst reveal that the active form of catalyst is metallic Ni and the promoter La2O3 facilitate the reduction of the oxidative nickel,.