Fe-Containing Magnesium Aluminate Support for Stability and Carbon Control during Methane Reforming

We report a MgFexAl2–xO4 synthetic spinel, where x varies from 0 to 0.26, as support for Ni-based catalysts, offering stability and carbon control under various conditions of methane reforming. By incorporation of Fe into a magnesium aluminate spinel, a support is created with redox functionality and high thermal stability, as concluded from temporal analysis of products (TAP) experiments and redox cycling, respectively. A diffusion coefficient of 3 × 10–17 m2 s–1 was estimated for lattice oxygen at 993 K from TAP experiments. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) modeling identified that the incorporation of iron occurs as Fe3+ in the octahedral sites of the spinel lattice, replacing aluminum. Simulation of the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectrum of the reduced support showed that 60 ± 10% of iron was reduced from 3+ to 2+ at 1073 K, while there was no formation of metallic iron. A series of Ni/MgFexAl2–xO4 catalysts, where x varies from 0 to 0.26, was synthesized and reduced, yielding a supported Ni-Fe alloy. The evolution of the catalyst structure during H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and CO2 temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) was examined using time-resolved in situ XRD and XANES. During reforming, iron in both the support and alloy keeps control of carbon accumulation, as confirmed by O2-TPO on the spent catalysts. By fine tuning the amount of Fe in MgFexAl2–xO4, a supported alloy was obtained with a Ni/Fe molar ratio of ∼10, which was active for reforming and stable. By comparison of the performance of Ni-based catalysts with Fe either incorporated into or deposited onto the support, the location of Fe within the support proved crucial for the stability and carbon mitigation under reforming conditions.