Methanation of carbon dioxide on Ni/ZrO2-Al2O3 catalysts: Effects of ZrO2 promoter and preparation method of novel ZrO2-Al2O3 carrier

The novel nickel-based catalysts with a nickel content of 12 wt% were prepared with the zirconia-alumina composite as the supports. The new carriers, ZrO2 improved alumina, were synthesized by three methods, i.e., impregnation-precipitation, co-precipitation, and impregnation method. The catalytic properties of these catalysts were investigated in the methanation of carbon dioxide, and the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. The new catalysts showed higher catalytic activity and better stability than Ni/gamma-Al2O3. Furthermore, as a support for new nickel catalyst, the ZrO2-Al2O3 composite prepared by the impregnation-precipitation method was more efficient than the other supports in the methanation of carbon dioxide. The highly dispersed zirconium oxide on the surface of gamma-Al2O3 inhibited the formation of nickel aluminate-like phase, which was responsible for the better dispersion of Ni species and easier reduction of NiO species, leading to the enhanced catalytic performance of corresponding catalyst.