Development of highly stable nickel catalyst for methane-steam reaction under low steam to carbon ratio

Abstract A NiMgO solid solution with low Ni content (Ni0.03Mg0.97O, atomic ratio) which was reduced at high temperature (> 1073 K) was found to be an active and stable catalyst for the steam reforming of methane in a steam to carbon ratio of 1.0. The reduced Ni0.03Mg0.97O catalyst showed higher activity and much higher stability than a commercial reforming catalyst (Ni/Al2O3MgO). The content of metallic nickel on the catalyst surface reduced by hydrogen was only 0.17 μmol/m2 and the turnover frequency of the methane-steam reaction at 1023 K was 62 s−1. The catalyst kept its activity for 60 h or more at 1123 K and a steam to carbon ratio of 1.0, giving little coke on the catalyst (