Hydrogen-rich gas production from tar model compound disintegrates over low-temperature plasma in dielectric barrier discharge reactor

Hydrogen-rich gas production from reforming of naphthalene as a typical tar model compound was investigated under catalytic, plasma and plasma-catalytic systems. The effect of Gd promoter and solvent on naphthalene decomposition and gaseous products within the reforming reaction was studied. The catalysts were prepared by the thermal fusion method and characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, BET, TEM, TG and H2-TPR. Compared to catalytic systems and plasma systems, the plasma-catalytic system shows the highest naphthalene conversion, as well as highest yield of hydrogen-rich gas on account of the synergetic effect of plasma and catalyst. Ni–Gd/SiO2@Al2O3 catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity than that on Ni/SiO2@Al2O3, due to higher dispersity of nickel species and reducibility of catalysts, as well as more Ni0 species and more surface oxygen species. No sintering and no coke formed on the fusion used catalyst owing to low content and high dispersion of nickel species. Maximum both naphthalene conversion and H2 yield were observed on Ni-10Gd catalyst, about 89 % and 0.17 mol/mol-naphthalene, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of OH· radicals originating from methanol and the subsequent methanol reforming reaction play a pivotal role in augmenting naphthalene conversion and facilitating the formation of H2, CO, and CH4.