Highly active and stable Ni/ZrO2 catalyst for syngas production by CO2 reforming of methane

CO2 reforming of CH4 was studied at 1030 K over Ni/ZrO2 catalysts with different preparations. It was shown that catalytic stability depends greatly on the preparation method of the support precursor. The catalyst prepared by impregnation of ultra-fine Zr(OH)4 (6 nm) particles with nickel nitrate showed high and extremely stable activity for syngas production. In contrast, the nickel catalyst prepared using bigger Zr(OH)4 particles deactivated rapidly. Also, the nickel catalyst made from co-precipitation of ultra-fine nickel–zirconium hydroxide (7 nm) was not resistant to coke deposition during the reaction.