Plasma-chemical synthesis and regeneration of catalysts for reforming natural gas

This study describes a pioneering investigation of plasma-chemical synthesis (PCS) and/or regeneration of natural gas-reforming catalysts under the conditions of electric arc, low temperature plasma (LTP), as a function of plasma-chemical process (PCP) parameters and plasma-chemical reactor (PCR) type (with “cold walls” or “warm walls”). Based on the model calculations, a plasma-chemical installation was designed, built, and used to study the processes of catalyst preparation and regeneration of spent, deactivated catalysts for natural gas-reforming.

Plasma-chemically synthesized and/or regenerated samples were analyzed by means of complex physical-chemical, X-ray pattern structural, and electron-microscopic analyses. And the dynamics and kinetics of active surface formation by reduction of catalysts were studied.

A temperature range of 2000–3000 K has been established as optimal for synthesizing samples with maximum dispersion, producing a reduction rate 2–4 times faster than industrial analogues. Samples with high catalytic activity (CH₄ conversion rate, catalyst performance, catalyst efficiency) and thermal stability were obtained.

Thus, it has been found that LTP can be successfully used for catalyst synthesis and regeneration.