CARBON-DIOXIDE REFORMING OF METHANE OVER LANTHANUM-MODIFIED CATALYSTS IN A FLUIDIZED-BED REACTOR

Nickel on lanthanum-modified aluminas were prepared and tested as catalysts for the CO2+CH4 double left right arrow 2CO+2H(2) reaction in a fluidized-bed reactor. Attrition tests show that lanthanum increases the strength of the carrier significantly. TPR and XRD results indicate that nickel enters into positions in the Al-O spinel blocks of the subsurface LaAl12O19 phase. This results in lower reducibility and thus lower activity for the reforming reaction as compared to nickel on unmodified alumina. While the unmodified catalyst deactivated rapidly under the chosen test conditions, the modified catalysts seem to be stable over several hours. However, the stability is sensitive to the pretreatment conditions of the catalysts.