Carbon dioxide reforming of methane over a metal modified Ni-Al2O3 catalyst

CO2 reforming of methane over modified Ni-Al2O3 was studied. The influence of K, Sn, Mn and Ca on the behavior of a Ni-Al2O3 catalyst, prepared by a sol-gel method, was studied. For this purpose, catalytic activity and its resistance to coking were measured. The unmodified catalyst showed its effectiveness in the dry reforming reaction of methane with low carbon deposition and high and constant catalytic activity during over 30 h of operation. The introduction of 0.5 wt.% of the above mentioned metals showed, for the case of the K-modified catalyst, compared to the original catalyst, constant but slightly less activity, and a lower carbon deposition after the same operation period. In the case of Ca, Mn and Sn, a dramatic reduction of catalytic activity and a significant increase in carbon deposition were observed during the period of time under study. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.