Support Effects on the Activity of Ni Catalysts for the Propane Steam Reforming Reaction

Abstract

The catalytic performance of supported Ni catalysts for the propane steam reforming reaction was investigated with respect to the nature of the support. It was found that Ni is much more active when supported on ZrO2 or YSZ compared to TiO2, whereas Al2O3− and CeO2-supported catalysts exhibit intermediate performance. The turnover frequency (TOF) of C3H8 conversion increases by more than one order of magnitude in the order Ni/TiO2 < Ni/CeO2 < Ni/Al2O3 < Ni/YSZ < Ni/ZrO2, accompanied by a parallel increase of the selectivity toward the intermediate methane produced. In situ FTIR experiments indicate that CHx species produced via the dissociative adsorption of propane are the key reaction intermediates, with their hydrogenation to CH4 and/or conversion to formates and, eventually, to CO, being favored over the most active Ni/ZrO2 catalyst. Long term stability test showed that Ni/ZrO2 exhibits excellent stability for more than 30 h on stream and thus, it can be considered as a suitable catalyst for the production of H2 via propane steam reforming.