Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of nickel, cobalt and neodymium catalysts for metanome tri-reform

• Grant number: 19/25077-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2019
• End date: August 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Agreement: BG E&P Brasil (Shell Group)
• Principal Investigator: Claudio Augusto Oller do Nascimento
• Grantee: Maressa Ramos Raposo da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50279-4 - Brasil Research Centre for Gas Innovation, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Due to the environmental impacts of fossil energy use, there is currently a major focus on developing cleaner alternatives. Indirect use of natural gas provides production routes for fuels, monomers and other compounds of commercial interest. Methane tri-reform employs dry reform, steam or partial oxidation reactions simultaneously, in order to increase process efficiency, have less environmental impact and produce a synthesis gas with flexible H2/CO molar ratio for later application. This process, not yet industrially employed, requires an active and stable catalyst for the reaction, complex in the areas of diversity of reagents and reaction conditions. In addition, Ni-based catalysts are used by the literature and, despite the requirements for the choice of support, few studies have been developed with innovative materials. In this context, the project aims to synthesize and characterize Ni or Co catalysts supported in SBA-15 and mixed oxide Nd0.95NiO3 with perovskite structure, besides evaluating its performance in the tri-methane reform reaction. Synthesized catalysts will be characterized by N2 sorption sorption sorption sorption, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry, Raman spectrometry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Catalytic performance will provide parameters such as conversion, selectivity and stability. The results obtained will then be compared with the literature.