Partial Oxidation of Methane on Nickel Carbide Catalysts
AIChE Annual Meeting
2016
2016 AIChE Annual Meeting
Student Poster Sessions
Undergraduate Student Poster Session: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
Monday, November 14, 2016 - 10:00am to 12:30pm
In this work, the effectiveness of nickel carbide as a catalyst for partial methane oxidation is investigated. Nickel carbide nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by XRD and TEM, and found to be nickel carbide particles with diameter of approximately 30 nm. These nanoparticles were then used in a temperature programmed reduction (TPR), and reacted under atmospheres of varying Ar, CH4, and O2 composition under varying temperature ramps ranging from nominal temperatures of 20oC to 800oC. After pretreatment under Ar at 350oC, the nickel carbide showed evolution of hydrogen starting near 460oC. Under a mixture of Ar, CH4, and O2, oxygen consumption and hydrogen production started around 300oC. The characterization of the nickel carbide after the reaction showed agglomeration of the nickel carbide particles and degradation of the nickel carbide phase and associated formation of a metallic nickel phase. Further results of the methane partial oxidation activity and stability of the nickel carbide catalyst will also be presented and discussed.