Summary
Researchers developed a class of catalyst materials suitable for dry reforming, bi-reforming and steam reforming applications under liter-per-minute scale gas flows. The catalyst can produce tunable syngas ratios and be structured into form factors to suit the user’s specific reactor type, process conditions, and target product. The catalyst is a precious-metal free transition metal oxide that has been successfully synthesized at the 10 kg scale using solid-state thermal methods. Dry reforming demonstrations show CO and H2 production with energy efficiency superior to electrolytic methods and minimal coke formation. Steam reforming demonstrations show H2 production with energy efficiencies surpassing state-of-the-art industrial reforming. Bi-reforming also allows full access to syngas compositions between 1-3 H2:CO so the user can target a wide slate of final products. The material characteristics of the catalyst allow it to be used in conventional thermal reactors or next-generation reactors that use microwaves to directly heat the catalyst bed. If necessary, the catalyst is easily regenerated by calcining in air. See outside link.