Recent progress in catalysts development of dry reforming of methane process: Review of active phases and supports of catalyst

The increased global energy demand resulting from population growth and the use of fossil fuels has led to environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions. This review focuses on Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM) technology that has the potential to convert methane and carbon dioxide (two major greenhouse gases) into syngas which is a base material for various chemical and fuel products. It is virtually impossible to perform the DRM reaction on an industrial scale if there is no efficient, low-cost and highly resistant to deactivation catalyst. This review gives information on the recent development in efficient and robust DRM catalysts following a brief discussion on the thermodynamics and the mechanisms involved in the DRM process. The paper also classifies the main types of catalysts based on the supporting material for supported catalysts and reduced solid solution catalysts in addition to identifying significant performance improvement factors. It is to give an insight into the catalytic interactions and to help in the improvements of the catalyst stability and activity concerning issues such as coking and sintering. In the last part of the article, the important parameters affecting the catalyst design discussed and the authors’ opinion on the future advancements in this field have been portrayed.