Process Intensification of Methane Production via Catalytic Hydrogenation in the Presence of Ni-CeO2/Cr2O3 Using a Micro-Channel Reactor

A slight amount of Cr2O3 segregation in 40 wt% NiO/Ce0.5Cr0.5O2 was presented at the surface. The best catalytic performance towards the reaction was achieved at 74% of CO2 conversion and 100% CH4 selectivity at 310 °C, the reactant (H2/CO2) feed molar ratio was 4, and the WHSV was 56,500 mlN·h−1·g−1cat. The mechanistic pathway was proposed through carbonates and formates as a mediator during CO2 and H2 interaction. Activation energy was estimated at 4.85 kJ/mol, when the orders of the reaction were ranging from 0.33 to 1.07 for nth-order, and 0.40 to 0.53 for mth-order