Carbon dioxide reforming of methane over co-precipitated Ni-CeO ₂, Ni-ZrO₂ and Ni-Ce-ZrO₂ catalysts

A co-precipitation method was employed to prepare nickel oxide dispersed on CeO₂, ZrO₂ and cubic Ce_0.8Zr _0.2O₂ support to obtain catalysts useful for carbon dioxide reforming of methane reaction. The Ni-CeO₂ and Ni-Ce-ZrO ₂ catalysts showed relatively high activity and stability, while the Ni-ZrO₂ catalyst deactivated in the initial stage of the reaction due to serious carbon formation. The co-precipitated Ni-Ce-ZrO₂ catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity (CH₄ conversion >97% at 800°C) among the catalysts tested and the activity was maintained without significant loss during the reaction for 100h. The enhanced catalytic activity and stability of the co-precipitated Ni-Ce-ZrO₂ catalyst is attributed to the combination of nano-crystalline nature of cubic Ce _0.8Zr_0.2O₂ support and finely dispersed nano-sized NiO_x crystallites resulting in intimate contact between Ni and support, better Ni dispersion, higher Ni surface area and enhanced oxygen transfer during the reaction.