The aim of the project is the development of new active, selective and stable catalysts for syngas (H2+CO) production by methane tri-reforming (CH4-TR) process, involving greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2), O2 and H2O. The CH4-TR process, combining in a single catalytic bed the endothermic steam reforming (CH4-SR) and dry reforming (CH4-DR) reactions with the exothermic partial oxidation of methane (CH4-CPO), results energetically efficient, gives less coke deposition and utilizes as a reactant CO2, considered one of the main contributor to greenhouse effects. The new perspective brought to the topic of syngas production deals with the adoption of new catalysts supported on ZrO2 or modified-ZrO2 effective for the CH4-TR process. This proposal constitutes an advancement of the project funded last year addressed to Ni based catalysts suitable for CH4-CPO and CH4-DR as distinct processes. The new Ni-based catalysts will be prepared at various Ni loading (0.5-10.0 wt%) using as supports ZrO2 or ZrO2 modified by the addition of CaO or Y2O3 and will be investigated to assess structure and morphology of modified-ZrO2 supports, Ni particles size, catalysts activation conditions (temperature, atmosphere) and catalysts deactivation with respect to catalytic performances. The characterization of the materials will be performed with several techniques including Atomic Adsorption, XRD and textural analyses, UV-vis, FESEM, Raman, TPR, and operando and in situ FTIR. The catalytic activity will be tested in a flow apparatus at atmospheric pressure in steady state conditions, by changing feed ratio, reaction temperature, contact time and catalyst pre-treatment. The combined analysis of characterization and catalytic results is expected to improve the knowledge of the relationship between composition, structure and catalytic performances to obtain syngas from the CH4-TR reaction.
