Supported Ni catalyst on a natural halloysite derived silica–alumina composite oxide with unexpected coke-resistant stability for steam-CO2 dual reforming of methane

The natural halloysite derived silica-alumina composite oxides (SA-H) through calcination at diverse temperatures were employed as supports for synthesizing novel supported Ni catalysts towards steam-CO2 dual reforming of methane (SCRM) for the production of synthesis gas. The effect of calcination temperature on the nature of the as-prepared supports and the supported Ni catalysts was investigated by using various characterization techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N-2 adsorption-desorption (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), CO chemisorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and H-2 temperature-programmed reduction (H-2-TPR). The supported Ni catalyst on the halloysite derived silica-alumina nanorod (Ni/SANR-H) prepared by calcination at 1000 degrees C exhibited higher catalytic activity with similar selectivity in comparison with the ones prepared with the other temperatures, ascribed to higher Ni dispersity. More interestingly, the robust Ni/SANR-H catalyst exhibited unexpectedly catalytic stability for a SCRM reaction with much higher coke and Ni-sintering resistance than the supported Ni catalyst on traditional silica alumina prepared by a precipitation method (Ni/SA-P). The unexpected coke-resistant capacity of the Ni/SANR-H catalyst endows it to be a promising candidate for synthesis gas production through a SCRM reaction.