Ni-Co Bimetallic Catalysts Supported on Mixed Oxides (Sc-Ce-Zr) for Enhanced Methane Dry Reforming

Dry methane reforming (DRM) presents a viable pathway for converting greenhouse gases into useful syngas. Nevertheless, the procedure requires robust and reasonably priced catalysts. This study explored using cost-effective cobalt and nickel combined into a single catalyst with different metal ratios. The reaction was conducted in a fixed reactor at 700 °C. The findings indicate that the incorporation of cobalt significantly enhances catalyst performance by preventing metal sintering, improving metal dispersion, and promoting beneficial metal-support interactions. The best-performing catalyst (3.75Ni+1.25Co-ScCeZr) achieved a good conversion rate of CH₄ and CO₂ at 46.8 %, and 60 % respectively after 330 minutes while maintaining good stability. The TGA and CO₂-TPD analysis results show that the addition of Co to Ni reduces carbon formation, and increases the amount of strong basic sites and isolated O₂- species, and the total amount of CO₂ desorbed. These results collectively highlight the potential of cobalt-nickel catalysts for practical DRM applications and contribute to developing sustainable energy technologies.