Effect of surfactant type on the synthesis of nanocrystalline MgAl2O4 and its application as a support for Ni catalyst in the steam pre-reforming of natural gas

Ahmad Reza Keshavarz; Mansooreh Soleimani

Effect of surfactant type on the synthesis of nanocrystalline MgAl₂O₄ and its application as a support for Ni catalyst in the steam pre-reforming of natural gas

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Author(s): Ahmad Reza Keshavarz ¹ and Mansooreh Soleimani ¹
- Affiliations: 1: Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez Avenue, PO Box 15875-4413 Tehran, Iran
Source: Volume 11, Issue 8, August 2016, p. 433 – 438
DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2016.0153 , Online ISSN 1750-0443

Received 22/03/2016, Accepted 09/05/2016, Published 01/08/2016

Mesoporous nanocrystalline magnesium aluminate (MgAl₂O₄) particles with different surface area (70–230 m² g⁻¹) were synthesised via the homogeneous co-precipitation method using different surfactants (cationic, anionic and non-ionic). The obtained powders were used as the support to prepare 10.5 nickel (Ni)/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts, and the resulting samples were tested in the steam pre-reforming of natural gas. The obtained samples were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, transmission electron microscopy and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. Experimental results showed that the shape, surface area and porosity of MgAl₂O₄ particles were strongly dependent on the type of surfactants used. In addition, the Ni catalyst supported on the MgAl₂O₄ with the highest surface area exhibited the smallest size of Ni particles (14.1 nm). This catalyst has over 97% of ethane and propane conversions in steam pre-reforming of natural gas under atmospheric pressure, 550°C, low steam to carbon molar ratio (S/C = 1.5) and high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV = 100,000 ml g⁻¹ _catalysth⁻¹).

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Effect of surfactant type on the synthesis of nanocrystalline MgAl₂O₄ and its application as a support for Ni catalyst in the steam pre-reforming of natural gas

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