Editors: | F. Kongoli, H. Dodds, M. Mauntz, T. Turna, K. Aifantis, A. Fox, V. Kumar |
Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
Publication Year: | 2019 |
Pages: | 112 pages |
ISBN: | 978-1-989820-11-7 |
ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
Dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers a greener source of energy. This highly endothermic reaction converts greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) into syngas (CO and H2) which is the main input gas used for production of fine chemicals and liquid fuels [1]. This process, however, has not been implemented at an industrial scale due to the low stability of the catalyst used in DRM arising from coking [2]. Crystalline aluminosilicates (zeolites) are widely used in the petrochemical industry. Altering the acidity of the zeolite by removing Al atoms from the crystal lattice affects the number of Brønsted acid sites and thus the ultimate coke accumulation [3]. This work explores the enhanced catalytic properties of zeolites obtained via dealumination for the reaction at hand. Zeolites with different hierarchical morphologies are examined towards their dealumination behavior while different conditions (temperature, acid concentration) are assessed. The success of the dealumination was confirmed using XPS and EDX while the preservation of the zeolite structure was confirmed using XRD. The resultant zeolites were used as supports towards the preparation of Ni supported catalysts. The DRM catalytic activity was correlated with the Si/Al ratio as well as their coking resistivity.