A review on dry reforming of methane in aspect of catalytic properties

Syngas, an extremely important chemical feedstock composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, can be generated through methane (CH4) dry reforming with CO2. However, traditional thermocatalytic processes require high temperatures and suffer from coke-induced instability. Here, we report a plasmonic photocatalyst consisting of a Cu nanoparticle ‘antenna’ with single-Ru atomic ‘reactor’ sites on the nanoparticle surface, ideal for low-temperature, light-driven methane dry reforming. This catalyst provides high light energy efficiency when illuminated at room temperature. In contrast to thermocatalysis, long-term stability (50 h) and high selectivity (>99%) were achieved in photocatalysis. We propose that light-excited hot carriers, together with single-atom active sites, cause the observed performance. Quantum mechanical modelling suggests that single-atom doping of Ru on the Cu(111) surface, coupled with excited-state activation, results in a substantial reduction in the barrier for CH4 activation. This photocatalyst design could be relevant for future energy-efficient industrial processes. Syngas is a mixture of CO and H2 that can be converted into a variety of fuels. Syngas can be produced thermocatalytically from CH4 and CO2, but this requires high temperatures and coke formation can be a problem. Here the authors demonstrate lower temperature, light-driven production of syngas using a coke-resistant plasmonic photocatalyst.

Light-driven methane dry reforming with single atomic site antenna-reactor plasmonic photocatalysts

The abrupt and massive deactivation of methane dry reforming catalysts especially Ni-based is still a monumental impediment towards its industrialization and commercialization for production of value-added syngas via Fischer-Tropsch process. The need for further and more critical understanding of inherent and tailored interactions of catalyst components for performance and stability enhancement during reforming reaction cannot be over-emphasized. This review provides a contemporary assessment of progresses recorded on synergistic interplay among catalyst components (active metals, support, promoters and binders) during dry reforming using state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical techniques. Advancements achieved during interplay leading to improvements in properties of existing catalysts and discovery of novel ones were stated and expatiated. Reaction pathways, catalytic activities, selection of appropriate synthesis route and metal/support deactivation via sintering or carbon deposition have over time been successfully studied and explained using information from these crucial component interactions. This perspective describes the roles of these interactions and their applications towards development of robust catalysts configurations for successful industrial applications.

A review on catalyst development for dry reforming of methane to syngas: Recent advances

Undoubtedly, hydrogen (H2) is a clean feedstock and energy carrier whose sustainable production should be anticipated. The pyrolysis of biomass or waste plastics and the subsequent reforming over base (transition) or noble metals supported catalysts allows reaching elevated H2 yields. However, the catalyst used in the reforming step undergoes a rapid and severe deactivation by means of a series of physicochemical phenomena, including metal sintering, metallic phase oxidation, thermal degradation of the support and, more notoriously, coke deposition. This review deals with the currently existing alternatives at the catalyst and reactor level to cope with catalyst deactivation and increase process stability, and then delves with the fundamental phenomena occurring during this catalyst deactivation. An emphasis is placed on coke deposition and its influence on deactivation, which depends on its location, chemical nature, morphology, precursors or formation mechanism, among others. We also discuss the challenges for increasing the value of the carbon materials formed and therefore, enhance process viability.

Coke formation and deactivation during catalytic reforming of biomass and waste pyrolysis products: A review

This paper presents a comprehensive list of Carbon Capture and Utilization technologies and applications, ranging from lab-scale R&D activities reported in academic papers to commercially establish...

Carbon capture and utilization technologies: a literature review and recent advances

The performance of catalysts used for the dry reforming of methane can strongly depend on the selection of active metals, supports and promoters. This work studies their effects on the activity and stability of selected catalysts. Designing an economically viable catalyst that maintains high catalytic activity and stability can be achieved by exploiting the synergic effects of combining noble and/or non-noble metals to form highly active and stable bi- and tri-metallic catalysts. Perovskite type catalysts can also constitute a potent and cost effective substituent. Metal oxide supports with surface Lewis base sites are able to reduce carbon formation and yield a greater stability to the catalyst, while noble metal promoters have proven to increase both catalyst activity and stability. Moreover, a successful metal-support-promoter combination should lead to higher metal-support interacrtion, lower reduction temperature and enhancement of the anti-coking and anti-amalgamation properties of the catalyst. However, the effect of each parameter on the overall performance of the catalyst is usually complex, and the catalyst designer is often faced with a tradeoff between activity, stability and ease of activation. Based on the review carried out on various studies, it is concluded that a catalyst design must take into consideration not only the separate effects of the active metal, support and promoter, but should also include the combined and mutual interactions of these components.

Catalyst design for dry reforming of methane: Analysis review

The present work investigates the energy consumption and yield of the esterification reaction of free fatty acids (waste oil pretreatment) under a simultaneous water removal by adsorption. The reaction was performed under methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol at the optimum reaction temperature of 100°C. The higher boiling point temperature of 1-propanol reduced the energy requirement of the reaction by 36.3 and 34.4% compared to methanol and ethanol, respectively. Moreover, despite the higher reactivity associated with alcohols having lower carbon chains, the reaction yield was approximately 16.4% higher under 1-propanol than the other two alcohols. This can be ascribed to the ability to use higher amounts of 1-propanol while maintaining lower energy consumption. The results also indicated that the reaction at 100°C under methanol and ethanol had a similar energy consumption and yield, favoring the use of the renewable ethanol over the widely used nonrenewable methanol. Finally, these findings highli...

Effect of alcohol type and amount on the total energy consumption and yield of the free fatty acids esterification reaction with simultaneous adsorptive water removal

Jad G. Touma

Papers

Catalyst design for dry reforming of methane: Analysis review

Effect of alcohol type and amount on the total energy consumption and yield of the free fatty acids esterification reaction with simultaneous adsorptive water removal

Manufacturing Process Design of a Micro-Scale Liquid-Liquid Extractor and Multi-phase Separator