Hydrogen production by catalytic decomposition of methane using a Fe-based catalyst in a fluidized bed reactor

Catalytic decomposition of methane using a Fe-based catalyst for hydrogen production has been studied in this work. A Fe/Al₂O₃ catalyst previously developed by our research group has been tested in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). A parametric study of the effects of some process variables, including reaction temperature and space velocity, is undertaken. The operating conditions strongly affect the catalyst performance. Methane conversion was increased by increasing the temperature and lowering the space velocity. Using temperatures between 700 and 900 °C and space velocities between 3 and 6 L_N/g_cat.h), a methane conversion in the range of 25%–40% for the gas exiting the reactor could be obtained during a 6 h run. In addition, carbon was deposited in the form of nanofilaments (chain like nanofibers and multiwall nanotubes) with similar properties to those obtained in a fixed bed reactor.