Effect of the Calcination Temperature of LaNiO3 on the Structural Properties and Reaction Performance of Catalysts in the Steam Reforming of Methane

The steam reforming of methane (SRM) reaction is a significant process for efficient syngas generation and for promising distributed hydrogen production. In this work, a series of LaNiO3oxides were prepared using the Pechini method, calcined from 600 °C to 900 °C and tested for the SRM reaction. Fresh, reduced, and used samples were characterized using STA-MS-FTIR, in situ and ex situ XRD, N2physical adsorption, H2-TPR, TEM, TPO, and Raman. The results show that LaNiO3begins to crystallize at about 550 °C, and the increase in calcination temperature results in the following differences in the properties of the LaNiO3samples: larger LaNiO3grains, smaller specific surface area, higher reduction temperature, smaller Ni0grains reduced from the bulk phase, and stronger metal–support interaction. The maximum CH4conversion could be achieved over LaNiO3calcinated at 800 °C. In addition, the effect of steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C) on the performance of the SRM reaction was studied, and a S/C of 1.5 was found to be optimal for CH4conversion. Too strong a metal–support interaction and too much unreacted steam causes a loss of catalytic activity. Finally, it was also proved using TPO and Raman that an increase in calcination temperature improves the carbon deposition resistance of the catalyst.Keywords:steam reforming of methane;perovskite;LaNiO3;Pechini method;calcination temperature