III International Conference

PP-II-60Ni-U catalysts were shown to be most effective in the processes of methane reformingwith CO 2 and steam. Introduction of uranium oxides into nickel-alumina catalysts leads to ahigher methane conversion and reaction products yields. An efficiency of the process dependson the content of uranium. The catalysts containing 30 %U are most active in the reaction ofmethane steam reforming. For example, at 850 ºC and 45000 h -1 on 10%Ni/Al 2 O 3 (ananalogue of the commercial catalyst) the methane conversion was 40 % and hydrogen yield23 %, whereas methane conversion and hydrogen yield in the reaction of methane steamreforming on the 10%Ni/30%U/Al 2 O 3 catalyst were 77 and 42 %, respectively, under thesame conditions. In the reaction of methane reforming with CO 2 an introduction of 30 %Uinto the catalyst leads to practically total elimination of coke formation during the reaction.The carbon yield is 0.4 % at 850 ºC, while on the industrial catalyst analogue the carbon yieldis 14 % at 850 ºC. Base on the project results, the catalyst 10%Ni/30%U/Al 2 O 3 can berecommended as an optimal catalyst for the methane reforming with steam and CO 2 .In the reaction of partial methane oxidation to syn-gas the similar effect of improvementof catalytic properties of the catalyst by introduction of uranium oxides was observed. Theoptimal composition of the catalyst for methane partial oxidation process was determined tobe 10%Ni/15%U/Al 2 O 3 . The methane conversion on this catalyst is 85 % and the hydrogenyield is 80 % at 800 ºC and GHSV=5000 h -1 , whereas under the same conditions the methaneconversion is 60 % and the hydrogen yield is 40 % on the catalyst containing no uranium.As a result of the present research, it was shown that uranium oxide containing catalystsare more prospective for hydrogen production from methane and can be applied to theprocesses including a technological stage of hydrogen generation from methane: hydrogenenergy, petrochemistry, fuel cells development and so on.This work was performed under the ISTC project No. 2799p.273