Patent ID: 6808652
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: B01J,C01B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method of producing a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from methane natural gas by steam reforming, oxygen reforming, or steam-oxygen reforming, comprising the steps of:contacting said methane natural gas with a catalyst, wherein said catalyst consists essentially of a &ominus;-Al2O3-supported nickel catalyst of the formula: M1-M2-Ni/M3-M4-ZrO2/&ominus;-Al2O3â€ƒâ€ƒ(1) â€ƒwherein M1 is an alkali metal; each of M2 and M3 is an alkaline earth metal; and M4 is a IIIB element or a lanthanide; wherein the nickel reforming catalyst is composed of: 3-20 wt. % of nickel (Ni) against &ominus;-Al2O3; 0-0.2 molar equivalent of M1 and 0-4 molar equivalent of M2 cocatalysts against nickel; 0-1.0 molar equivalent of M3 and 0.01-1.0 molar equivalent of M4 against zirconium; and 0.01-1.0 molar equivalent of ZrO2 against &ominus;-Al2O3; maintaining the methane natural gas-to-steam molar ratio in the range of from 0 to 6; maintaining the methane natural gas-to-oxygen molar ratio in the range of 0 to 1; maintaining the reaction temperature in the range of 600 to 1000Â° C.; maintaining the reaction pressure in the range of 0.5 to 20 atm; and maintaining the space velocity in the range of 1,000 to 1,000,000 cc/hrÂ·g-cat.