| Fluidizable catalysts are developed in this study for advancing an integral approach towards a new methane reforming process. With this end, catalysts constituted by nickel supported on α-alumina, NaY, and USY were developed using the incipient wetness technique producing bulk nickel loadings in the 0–20 wt% range. These catalysts were also tested under relevant conditions for industrial operation in a novel Riser Simulator.; It was found that, for the case of ‘dry’ reforming of methane, nickel deposited in zeolites is a promising catalyst given that it allows for close control of metal dispersion-redispersion process. In fact, when this catalyst was exposed to repeated oxidation and reduction cycles, nickel dispersions remained stable at 25% for NaY zeolite and at 15% for USY zeolife.; This catalyst offers, however, limited application for steam reforming of methane given the potential collapse of the zeolite structure under a steam atmosphere.; As an alternative and for cases where steam reforming of methane is preferred, nickel on α-alumina catalyst was considered. Optimum catalytic activity was achieved with 2.5 wt% of nickel on a-alumina with 3–6% nickel dispersion.; The kinetics of dry reforming and steam reforming of methane on a fluidizable Ni on Zeolite/α-alumina catalyst respectively are studied in the CREC Riser Simulator reactor. It is demonstrated that on the basis of the thermodynamics of CH4 decomposition and CO disproportionation, it was possible to speculate which one of the selected operating conditions favored/hindered the formation of coke and which conditions could be expected to lead to small/limited coke formation. This analysis gave results, which were consistent with the coke experimental findings and could be the basis for selecting the desirable operating conditions for the CATFORMING unit; The Box-Hill Discrimination function was used to design sequential experiments for discrimination between six candidate models for the rate of dry/steam reforming of methane carried out over a fluidized bed of catalyst. Models are expressed in a form such that the parameters are close-to-linear. Estimates of the close-to-linear parameters in the most probable model are made using 94 observations of the conversion of methane made over Ni catalysts. It is demonstrated using model discrimination that the adsorption of both carbon dioxide and methane play an important role in determining the observed rate dry reforming of methane in the CATFORMER reactor and this adsorption taking place in two different sites, being presumably on in the support and the other in the nickel. All parameters are found to be significant at the 95% confidence level. |
