Nickel Catalysts for C1 Reactions: Recollections from a Career in Heterogeneous Catalysis

This paper presents a brief review of some research projects carried out in the author’s laboratories over a number of years. The work reported concerns the use of nickel-containing catalysts for a range of C1 reactions: the steam reforming of methane, the methanation of CO, the oxidative coupling of methane and the dry reforming of methane. A number of novel catalysts have been developed in the course of this work, mostly in collaborative projects with industrial organisations, and some of the background to this work is discussed. The paper emphasises the importance in work of the type described of the establishment of contacts between the academic laboratory and industrial researchers such as Mike Spencer.

NUMERICAL MODELLING OF THE ENDOTHERMIC PROCESS OF THE STEAM REFORMING OF METHANE IN A FIXED BED REFORMER

Thermochemical Packed-Bed (TPB) reformer has been substantially studiedin the past years as a promising equipment to investigate thethermochemical conversion of methane (CH4). This work has as mainobjective a theoretical modelling to describe the process variables of SteamReforming of Methane (SRM) method in the TPB reformer. The TPBreformer is filled with β-SiC open-cell foam where the thermochemicalconversion of CH4 is carried out. The model variables describe the specificaims of work and these objectives can be identified from each equation ofthe developed mathematical model. This work has been proposed to studytwo specific aims as (i) the effective thermal conductivity's effect of thesolid phase (λs,eff.) and (ii) molar flows of chemical components. Theendothermic reaction temperature's profiles are notably increased as thenumeral value of λs,eff. is raised. The Steam Reforming of Methane (SRM)method is suggested to improve the Production Rate (PR) of H2 regardingthe PR of CO. As results, the PR of H2 is of 29.48% while the PR of CO isof 2.76%.