Effect of Calcined Temperature on Coke Deposition for Autothermal Reforming of Methane with Ni-Cu Catalyst

Ni-Cu/ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method at pH=9 and using Na2CO3 as the precipitant. The Ni loading (mass fraction) of the catalysts was 10%. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of calcined temperature of support on coke deposition were studied. TPO, SEM and XPS results indicated there was no peak of higher temperature oxygen consumption on Ni-Cu/ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst (support was calcined at 800 degrees C), which could lead to the deactivation of the catalyst. The carbon species were carbonate and inactive carbon (filamentous carbon species) on the surface of catalyst reacting for 40 h which perhaps led to the deactivation of the catalyst.