New oxygen carriers for efficient syngas and H2 production by chemical looping steam methane reforming

The research work illustrate the development of catalyst-promoted Fe-based Oxygen Carriers (OC) for the Chemical Looping Steam Reforming (CL-SMR) process. Goal of the study was to explore novel methods for preparing oxygen carrier materials that combine the advantages of Fe-containing oxides, including environmental compatibility, relatively low cost, and the ability to be partially or fully reoxidized by steam, with the high CH4 activation ability of Ni. The process enables the simultaneous production of pure hydrogen, along with the syngas derived from the partial oxidation of the hydrocarbons feed. The work provides guidance for the design of physically mixed OC-supported catalyst composite carrier systems, through the investigation of the CL-SMR performances, chemical compatibility, stability, and composition of such systems. Furthermore, a preliminary investigation into the use of an exsolving Ni-doped Fe-based perovskite highlights the potential of this class of materials in chemical looping processes—a potential that has remained largely unexplored until recently.