STUDY OF NICKEL CATALYSTS PREPARED FROM RICE HUSK ASH FOR THE REACTION OF METHANE REFORMING WITH CARBON DIOXIDE

Rice husk ash (RHA) is used as a silica source for several purposes, among them to obtain metal catalysts, as was done in this work. The catalysts were characterized by chemisorption, physisorption, thermal analyses (TG, DSC), X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, temperature-programmed reduction and scanning electron microscopy. The catalysts synthesized with different Ni loadings supported on RHA were applied to the reaction of dry reforming of methane. The reaction was tested at three temperatures of catalytic reduction (500, 600 and 700 degrees C). All synthesized catalysts were active for the studied reaction, with different H-2/CO ratios achieved according to degree of metallic dispersion.