Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/Al2O3 Catalysts for CO2 Methanation

Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstraße 20, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

Institute of Chemical Technology, Universität Leipzig, Linnéstr. 3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

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Chair for Process Systems Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany

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Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

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Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Straße 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany

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Max Planck Institute Magdeburg, Department Process Systems Engineering, Sandtorstraße 1, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany

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Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Fermi Ave, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK

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Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Catalysts 2020, 10(12), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10121471

Received: 29 November 2020 / Revised: 8 December 2020 / Accepted: 10 December 2020 / Published: 16 December 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Heterogeneous Catalysts and Adsorbents)

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Abstract

CO₂ methanation is often performed on Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts, which can suffer from mass transport limitations and, therefore, decreased efficiency. Here we show the application of a hierarchically porous Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst for methanation of CO₂. The material has a well-defined and connected meso- and macropore structure with a total porosity of 78%. The pore structure was thoroughly studied with conventional methods, i.e., N₂ sorption, Hg porosimetry, and He pycnometry, and advanced imaging techniques, i.e., electron tomography and ptychographic X-ray computed tomography. Tomography can quantify the pore system in a manner that is not possible using conventional porosimetry. Macrokinetic simulations were performed based on the measures obtained by porosity analysis. These show the potential benefit of enhanced mass-transfer properties of the hierarchical pore system compared to a pure mesoporous catalyst at industrially relevant conditions. Besides the investigation of the pore system, the catalyst was studied by Rietveld refinement, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV/vis) spectroscopy, and H₂-temperature programmed reduction (TPR), showing a high reduction temperature required for activation due to structural incorporation of Ni into the transition alumina. The reduced hierarchically porous Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst is highly active in CO₂ methanation, showing comparable conversion and selectivity for CH₄ to an industrial reference catalyst. View Full-Text

Keywords: methanation; carbon dioxide; hierarchical porosity; nickel; alumina; tomography; porosity analysis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Weber, S.; Abel, K.L.; Zimmermann, R.T.; Huang, X.; Bremer, J.; Rihko-Struckmann, L.K.; Batey, D.; Cipiccia, S.; Titus, J.; Poppitz, D.; Kübel, C.; Sundmacher, K.; Gläser, R.; Sheppard, T.L. Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/Al₂O₃ Catalysts for CO₂ Methanation. Catalysts 2020, 10, 1471. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10121471

AMA Style

Weber S, Abel KL, Zimmermann RT, Huang X, Bremer J, Rihko-Struckmann LK, Batey D, Cipiccia S, Titus J, Poppitz D, Kübel C, Sundmacher K, Gläser R, Sheppard TL. Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/Al₂O₃ Catalysts for CO₂ Methanation. Catalysts. 2020; 10(12):1471. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10121471

Chicago/Turabian Style

Weber, Sebastian, Ken L. Abel, Ronny T. Zimmermann, Xiaohui Huang, Jens Bremer, Liisa K. Rihko-Struckmann, Darren Batey, Silvia Cipiccia, Juliane Titus, David Poppitz, Christian Kübel, Kai Sundmacher, Roger Gläser, and Thomas L. Sheppard 2020. "Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/Al₂O₃ Catalysts for CO₂ Methanation" Catalysts 10, no. 12: 1471. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10121471

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Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/Al₂O₃ Catalysts for CO₂ Methanation

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