• Clean Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2009

Mesoporous aluminas (A-C, A-A, and A-N) were prepared by a templating method using cationic(C), anionic(A), and non-ionic(N) surfactant as a structure-directing agent, respectively. Nickel catalysts supported on mesoporous alumina (Ni/A-C, Ni/A-A, and Ni/A-N) were then prepared by an impregnation method, and were applied to hydrogen production by steam reforming of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Regardless of surfactant type, nickel species were finely dispersed on the surface of mesoporous alumina in the calcined catalysts. It was revealed that interaction between nickel species and support in the reduced catalysts was strongly dependent on the identity of surfactant. LNG conversion and $H_2$ composition in dry gas increased in the order of Ni/A-C < Ni/A-A < Ni/A-N. It was found that catalytic performance increased with increasing nickel surface area in the reduced catalyst. Among the catalyst tested, Ni/A-N catalyst with the highest nickel surface area showed the best catalytic performance.