Ni-Co bimetallic catalysts on coconut shell activated carbon prepared using solid-phase method for highly efficient dry reforming of methane

Ni-Co bimetallic catalysts supported on coconut shell activated carbon are synthesized using solid-phase method and investigated for dry reforming of methane, to explore the impact of Ni:Co ratio on the catalyst activity and stability. The catalyst performances are evaluated under the temperature varying from 600 to 900 °C and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 7200 mL/h·g-cat. The characterization results show that metal nanoparticles are produced on the support, and the bimetallic catalyst with an explicit Ni:Co ratio (2:1) is the most beneficial for metal particle dispersion and acquires the minimum particle size of 4.41 nm. The bimetallic catalysts with an explicit Ni:Co ratio of 1:2 and 1:1 exhibit a synergistic effect towards the conversions of CH₄ and CO₂, respectively. The experimental results reveal that the highest CH₄ and CO₂ conversions rise to 94.0% and 97.5% within 12 h at 900 °C on average, respectively, assisted with the two bimetallic catalysts. The intensity of disordered carbon and thermal stability are enhanced with the extension of reforming process, contributing to a long-term catalytic stability. Besides, no obvious carbon deposition is detected, leading to a highly catalytic stability for the bimetallic catalysts.