Steam combined dry reforming of methane over CoMo/Al2O3 nanoflake catalyst at low microwave power irradiation

Abstract

This research involved the implementation of steam-assisted dry reforming (SDR) on methane utilizing a CoMo/Al₂O₃ nanoflake catalyst under microwave irradiation. The CoMo/Al₂O₃ nanoflakes demonstrated superior catalytic activity for reforming reactions, attributed to their enhanced surface exposure to incident microwaves and heightened microwave absorption capability. Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) synthesis was employed for the production of liquid fuels, with the predicted syngas ratio (H₂/CO) easily adjustable by varying the steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C) supplied to the reactor. Achieving an H₂/CO ratio greater than one was feasible with an intake S/C ratio below 0.1 and 200 W of microwave power. In comparison to carbon-based catalysts, the CoMo nanoflakes exhibited significantly higher catalytic stability after 16 h of time-on-stream (TOS) during the SDR process under microwave irradiation. The utilization of microwaves in this process opens novel routes for methane reforming to fuel, offering distinct advantages.