Compatibility of NiO/CuO in Ca–Cu Chemical Looping for High‐Purity H2 Production with CO2 Capture. Issue 9 (26th June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Lili; Qin, Changlei; Zhang, Zhonghui; Ran, Jingyu; Manovic, Vasilije
• Is Part Of: Energy technology. Volume 6:Issue 9(2018:Sep.)
• Page Start: 1777
• Page End: 1787
• Publication Date: 2018-06-26
• Subjects: Ca-Cu chemical looping -- CO2 capture -- hydrogen production -- Ni/Cu interactions -- steam reforming; Energy development -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1002/ente.201700894
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2194-4288

Abstract

Abstract: Ca–Cu chemical looping is a novel and promising approach for converting methane into pure H2 following the principle of sorption‐enhanced reforming. Its operational efficiency is largely determined by an appropriate coexistence of Cu‐based oxygen carriers and Ni‐based catalysts. Here, NiO/CuO composites are synthesized and their catalytic activity for H2 production is measured using a fixed‐bed reactor system equipped with an online gas analyzer. It is reported that the presence of CuO can hinder the activity of Ni‐based catalysts in H2 production, and experimental results show that the negative effect of CuO is strengthened with increasing CuO content and calcination temperature during sample preparation. With the help of a series of specific test and characterization techniques, interaction rules between NiO and CuO are further investigated and understood, and based on that an action mechanism model is proposed. Furthermore, an arrangement of mixed particles that avoids the intimate contact of CuO/NiO is suggested and tested, and a superior performance is demonstrated while observing no restrictions of CuO on Ni‐based catalysts in sorption‐enhanced steam‐methane reforming under the conditions of Ca–Cu chemical looping. Abstract : CuO presence has an adverse effect on Ni‐based catalysts for the steam methane reforming (SMR) reaction. It is suggested that when there is intimate contact between CuO and NiO, an expanding aggregation of CuO on the active surface occurs with an increase of CuO content and that this would result in a decrease of the available contact area for Ni.