INFLUENCE OF PREPARATION CONDITIONS OF CERIA NANOPARTICLES ON THE DRY REFORMING OF METHANE
WG3 members: Mihaela Florea, Codruta G. Rotaru, Florentina Neatu
The development of new routes for the synthesis of ceria is required to improve the physico-chemical properties and catalytic performances of the anode for solide oxide fuel cells. The main objective of our study is to contribute to the deeper understanding of the various phenomena involved in the catalytic reforming reactions of fuels to produce hydrogen when the catalytic process is based on the use of oxygen-permeable membranes, i.e. in conditions where the reactions are necessarily influenced by the transport of O2- ions to the catalytic site (Figure 1). Therefore, advanced synthesis and deposition methods, such as self-assembling methods assisted by surfactants, conventional (citrate and sol-gel) methods and non-conventional methods (microwave assisted methods) will be used. For the characterization of these materials different approaches will be employed:
- Determination of the textural properties (total surface, micropores and mesopores distribution, total pore volume): BET formalism, t-plot and BJH methods;
- Particle size measurement by DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering) technique;
- Phase identification by X-ray diffraction;
- Bulk composition: Chemical analysis, UV-VIS spectrometry;
- Surface characterizations: FTIR, XPS, RAMAN;
- TPR techniques for evaluation of the oxidation state(s) of surface metal species, the influence of the support on reducibility, the amount of reducible species;
- Hydrogen chemisorption studies (dispersion of metallic NM particles);
- Thermogravimetric analysis: structural changes vs temperature
Figure 1: Schematic operation principle of gradual internal reforming of CH4 with catalyst layer and internal anodic collecting system in SOFC
