Structured Ni-CeO2-Al2O3/Ni-Foam Catalyst with Enhanced Heat Transfer for Substitute Natural Gas Production by Syngas Methanation

• Published in: ChemCatChem Vol. 7; no. 9; pp. 1427 - 1431
• Main Authors: Li, Yakun, Zhang, Qiaofei, Chai, Ruijuan, Zhao, Guofeng, Liu, Ye, Lu, Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 04.05.2015; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: heterogeneous catalysis; nickel; structured catalyst; substitute natural gas; supported catalysts
• ISSN: 1867-3880; 1867-3899
• DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201500086

Concerns about the clean utilization of coal and the development of sustainable energy have provided a particular impetus for the exploration into the production of substitute natural gas (SNG) by syngas methanation in some parts of world. Owing to heat‐transfer limitations, current SNG technology based on a series of fixed‐bed reactors packed with oxide‐supported Ni catalysts suffers from issues such as high costs, low efficiency, and catalyst sintering. We report a monolithic Ni‐Ce‐Al2O3/Ni‐foam catalyst obtainable by modified wet‐chemical etching of Ni foam. Such a catalyst, with significantly enhanced heat transfer, is highly active, highly selective, and very stable for syngas methanation. Computational fluid dynamics calculations and experimental measurements consistently show a large reduction in the “hotspot” temperature in the Ni‐foam‐structured catalyst bed owing to high thermal conductivity. We anticipate that our approach will open a new opportunity for next‐generation SNG plant design. Mysterious monoliths: Monolithic Ni‐CeO2‐Al2O3/Ni‐foam catalysts to be used in the strongly exothermic syngas methanation reaction for the production of substitute natural gas are developed by modified wet‐chemical etching of Ni foam. This catalyst has a unique combination of high activity/selectivity, excellent stability, and enhanced heat transfer.