Abstract
In this study, the Ni-based catalysts for the production of synthetic natural gas were prepared by various preparation methods such as the co-precipitation, precipitation, impregnation and physical mixing methods. The ranges of the reaction conditions were the temperatures of 250~$350^{\circ}C$, $H_2$/CO mole ratio of 3.0, the pressures of 1 atm and the space velocity of 20000 $ml/g_{-cat{\cdot}}{\cdot}h$. It was found that the catalyst prepared by precipitation method had higher CO conversion than the catalyst prepared by co-precipitation method. While the catalyst prepared by precipitation method had the formation of NiO structure, the catalyst prepared by co-precipitation method had the formation of $NiAl_2O_4$ structure. It was confirmed that Ni-based catalyst prepared by the physical mixing method had the lowest CO conversion because it was deactivated by the production of $Ni_3C$ during the methanation. As a result, it was shown clearly that Ni-based catalysts prepared by impregnation method expressed the highest catalytic activity in CO methanation.