Kinetics, response surface methodology, and regeneration studies of MOF-derived Ni-Ce catalyst for dry reforming of methane

The MOF-derived bimetallic Ni-Ce catalyst was studied under three major headings: kinetics, stability and regeneration, and response surface methodology (RSM). The impact of reaction temperature and inlet gas flowrate on H₂/CO, CO₂ and CH₄ conversions in DRM were determined by using RSM and design of experiment (DOE). Optimal values, determined through RSM evaluation, revealed CO₂ and CH₄ conversions and H₂/CO ratio of 99 %, 96 %, and 0.98, respectively, achieved at a reaction temperature of 793 °C and an inlet flowrate of 0.03 mol/h. Furthermore, the kinetic assessment was evaluated using six kinetic models, with reversible Langmuir Hinshelwood and Power law models identified as the best fits. Also, the stability and 2-cycle regeneration analysis at 700 °C, 0.033 mol/h inlet gas flowrate, and a 1:1 CH₄:CO₂ ratio, showed the MOF-derived Ni-Ce catalyst stability and better regeneration was observed under CO₂ compared to air, as air regeneration caused a higher degree of sintering on the catalyst than CO₂ regeneration.