Development of aluminum-based catalytic supports for the dry reforming of methane

Ceramic materials have several applications, mainly due to their versatility and properties. Several methodologies have been consolidated for the synthesis of these materials, but some disadvantages limit their applicability in catalysis. Thus, much research is concentrated on the study of catalyst synthesis methods that are simple, fast, low cost, ecofriendly and produce suitable materials. In recent years, some alternative synthesis routes have attracted great attention, however the obtainment of MgAl2O4 spinel by the gelatin method and perovskite LaAlO3 via microwave assisted combustion method has been little explored. MgAl2O4 is widely used in the dry reforming of methane (DRM), but DRM studies using LaAlO3 as support are very limited. In this context, the aims of this work were: to synthesize MgAl2O4 using gelatin as an organic precursor; to prepare LaAlO3 perovskite via microwave assisted combustion reaction; and to compare the methane dry reforming performance of two nickel catalysts supported on LaAlO3 and commercial α-Al2O3. By the gelatin method it was possible to obtain pure and nano-sized MgAl2O4 with crystallinity of up to 90.40%. An abrupt increase in crystallite size was observed for calcination temperatures above 900 °C. In the microwave synthesis, a monophasic and nano-sized LaAlO3 perovskite was obtained. The TPR-H2 profiles show that the oxygen vacancies present on the perovskite surface exerted a strong effect on the reduction temperature and the reducibility of NiO nanoparticles, resulting in poor Ni0/LaAlO3 interaction. The results of the 10 h catalytic tests with GHSV of 18 L g-1 h-1 show that the Ni/LaAlO3 catalyst is 7.8 and 11.5% more stable than Ni/α-Al2O3 for CH4 and CO2 conversions, respectively. The higher stability and activity of Ni/LaAlO3 is directly related to the presence of NiO (3.38% p) after activation, which promoted the formation of carbon nanotubes (CNT), increasing the dispersion of the metal phase. Even under severe activation and reaction conditions (high GHSV) as in the long-term test (20 h), Ni/LaAlO3 catalyst showed a H2 yield of 37.2% higher than Ni/α-Al2O3. Transmission Electron Microscopy (MET) analyzes revealed that the Ni/α-Al2O3 catalyst deactivated by sintering. Thus, the presence of structural defects and surfaces rich in oxygen vacancies makes the LaAlO3 perovskite a potential support for application in processes of catalytic reforming of methane.