Optimization of the preparation procedure of Ni/Al2O3 catalyst for steam reforming of n-butane

Performance of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts (10 wt.% Ni) in steam reforming of n-butane was investigated in terms of n-butane conversion, selectivity to hydrogen and hydrogen yield. The process was carried out in a fixed-bed tubular reactor at 650 °C and atmospheric pressure. The volumetric flow rates of n-butane and steam were 0.1 mL/min and 0.6 mL/min, respectively. The catalysts were prepared by precipitation-sedimentation method at different precipitation, drying and calcination temperatures as well as precursor types. Synthesized catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET analyses. It was found that Ni- Nitrate as the precursor was more favorable than the other. Mathematical predictive formulas were generated for responses by Design Expert software. Also, the optimum condition of the catalyst preparation was obtained by using the response surface methodology (RSM). Ultimately, it was concluded that the overall optimum condition were: Tprecipitation= 30°C, Tdrying= 115°C, Tcalcination= 700°C .