PEROVSKITAS BASED ON NICKEL, COBALT AND LANTHANUM APPLIED ON THE PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE AND COMBUSTION BY CHEMICAL CYCLE
methane; perovskites; syngas; chemical looping.
Perovskite with composition LaNi1-xCoxO3 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0) were studied in the partial oxidation of methane (POX), in the total oxidation (combustion) by chemical looping and in the catalytic combustion of methane. These samples were synthesized by the citrate method and characterized by different methods, such as XRD, specific area by the BET method, TPR-H2, TPSR-CH4, XPS, TEM, TGA, Raman spectroscopy were evaluated by TPSR-CH4/O2 and by long term tests under different conditions. In POX, the main results indicate that the mechanism of transformation of oxides LaNi1-xCoxO3 (x = 0.2 and 0.5) under atmosphere of CH4 and O2 is dependent on the oxide composition (x = 0.2 and 0.5) and pretreatment conditions (in this case, x = 0.2). The sample (x = 0.5), independent of previous H2 treatment, evidence of the formation of intermediate phases La2BO4 (B = Ni and CO) was noted. However, with the sample (x = 0.2) the mechanism involves the formation of the spinel phases (La2BO4) only in the condition that there was no pretreatment with H2. In all experiments, the phase changes of the oxides (LaNi1-xCoxO3 and Ni1-xCox/La2O3) under atmosphere of CH4 and O2 resulted in the
Ni1-xCox/La2O3 system. The performance of the catalytic tests in different conditions with the sample (x = 0.2) suggested that the pretreatment with H2 favors the synthesis gas at a H2/CO ratio closer to the theoretical value (2) when compared to the pre-treatment treatment with the reaction mixture (CH4 + O2). During the tests no evidence of catalyst deactivation was observed, but the reaction of OPM contributed to the formation of graphite carbon on these materials. The LaNi0.5Co0.5O3 oxide showed better performance during the chemical cycle combustion tests, this sample led to the complete reduction in a shorter time as well as showed less susceptibility to deactivation due to the formation of coke in the catalytic combustion of methane, all samples were active, it was verified that the addition of cobalt contributed to obtain a more stable catalyst.