Kinetic Investigation of CO2-CH4 Reaction over Ni/La2O3 Catalyst using Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Ni/$La_2O_3$ with a high dispersion was prepared by reduction of $La_2O_3$ perovskite oxide to examine the catalytic activity for the $CO_2-CH_4$ reaction. The Ni/$La_2O_3$ catalyst was found to be highly active for the reaction. The ratios of $H_2$/CO were measured in a flow of the reaction mixture containing $CO_2/CH_4$/Ar using an on-line gas chromatography system operated at 1 atm and found to be varied with temperature between 0.66 and 1 in the temperature range of $500-800^{\circ}C$. A kinetic study of the catalytic reaction was performed in a static reactor at 40 Torr total pressure of $CO_2/CH_4/N_2$ by using a photoacoustic spectroscopy technique. The $CO_2$ photoacoustic signal varying with the concentration of $CO_2$ during the catalytic reaction was recorded as a function of time. Rates of $CO_2$ disappearance in the temperature range of $550-700^{\circ}C$ were obtained from the changes in the $CO_2$ photoacoustic signal at early reaction stage. The plot of ln rate vs. 1/T showed linear lines below and above $610^{\circ}C$. Apparent activation energies were determined to be 10.4 kcal/mol in the temperature range of $550-610^{\circ}C$ and 14.6 kcal/mol in the temperature range of $610-700^{\circ}C$. From the initial rates measured at $640^{\circ}C$ under various partial pressures of $CO_2$ and $CH_4$, the reaction orders were determined to be 0.43 with respect to $CO_2$ and 0.33 with respect to $CH_4$. The kinetic results were compared with those reported previously and used to infer a reaction mechanism for the Ni/$La_2O_3$-catalyzed $CO_2-CH_4$ reaction.