Low Temperature Methane Steam Reforming for SOFC

The properties of flowerlike microspheres ceria based nickel catalyst for low temperature methane steam reforming (SMR) were studied. The ceria microspheres were prepared by hydrothermal method. Catalyst of nano-sized nickel oxide particles based on flowerlike cerium oxide microspheres with high disperse were prepared to achieve simultaneous dehydrogenation of methane and water molecules on multi-active sites. The catalyst was characterized by means of Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that this special catalyst NiO/CeO2 had high activity and stability for SMR reaction below 600oC. The stability of the catalyst reached more than 1000 hours. The conversation of methane under 590oC was above 90%. The tests of the influence of different H2O/CH4 mole ratios on activity and selectivity of catalyst showed that 1.5~2.5 ratios was an ideal choice. During the running of micro-tube methane steam reformer with this catalyst, the methane conversion of 556oC kept over 25mol.%.