Study of Partial Oxidation of Methane by Ni/Al₂O₃ Catalyst: Effect of Support Oxides of Mg, Mo, Ti and Y as Promoters

Catalysts of 10% Ni, supported on promoted alumina, were used to accomplish the partial oxidation of methane. The alumina support was doped with oxides of Mo, Mg, Ti and Y. An incipient wetness impregnation technique was used to synthesize the catalysts. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were described by XRD, H₂-TPR (temperature programmed reduction), BET, TGA, CO₂-TPD (temperature-programmed desorption) and Raman. The characterization results denoted that Ni has a strong interaction with the support. The TGA investigation of spent catalysts displayed the anticoking enhancement of the promoters. The impact of the support promoters on the catalyst stability, methane conversion and H₂ yield was inspected. Stability tests were done for 460 min. The H₂ yields were 76 and 60% and the CH₄ conversions were 67 and 92%, respectively, over Ni/Al₂O₃+Mg, when the reaction temperatures were 550 and 650^◦C, respectively. The performance of the present work was compared to relevant findings in the literature.