Pseudomorphic Reaction: A New Approach to Produce Bulk Mesoporous Silica as Catalyst Support in Methane Reforming

Pseudomorphism is known as a suitable technique for producing mesoscale pore in silica powders along with preservation of particle morphology. Herein, silica discs with several millimeter dimensions have been prepared using the mentioned method. This method has been utilized through application of pseudomorphism reaction of preshaped bodies by immersion in a solution containing surfactant and swelling reagents. The pseudomorphism reactions were performed in time and temperature controlled conditions. Mesoporous silica disc, because of its large surface area, has been considered here as catalyst support in methane steam reforming. The silica support has been utilized in production of Nisilica catalyst through impregnation method. The physical properties of the synthesized mesoporous support and nanocatalysts have been characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption surface measurement (BET- BJH method) and Archemideous immersion analysis as well as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analyses techniques. Investigation on catalytic behavior of prepared samples in steam reforming of methane showed that Ni/S1 sample has superior catalytic activity in comparison with Ni/S0 sample (Methane conversion of 85% and hydrogen yields more than 60% at 620 °C).