Journal Article

Cobalt ferrite for direct cracking of methane to produce hydrogen and carbon nanostructure: Effect of temperature and methane flow rate

Ud Din, Israf, Alharthi, Abdulrahman I, Nassar, Amal A, Abdel–Fattah, E, Alotaibi, Mshari A

2023

Overview

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) was used as a catalyst for direct methane cracking. The reaction was accomplished in a fixed bed reactor at normal atmospheric pressure, while gas flow rate (20–50 mL/min) and reaction temperature (800–900 °C) were varied. The fresh CoFe2O4 morphology is sponge-like particle with inverse spinel structure as revealed from SEM and XRD results. The methane conversions and hydrogen formation rate were increased with reaction temperature, while catalyst stability and induction period decreased. Increases of gas flow rate > 20 mL/min led to a decrease the overall catalytic activity of CoFe2O4 for methane cracking. The XRD results of spent catalysts revealed that CoFe alloy was the active phase of methane cracking. TGA analysis showed that the largest amount of deposited carbon was 70.46 % at (20 mL/min, 900 °C), where it was 34.40 % at (50 mL/min, 800 °C). The deposited carbon has the shape of spherical carbon nanostructures and/or nano sprouts as observed with SEM. Raman data confirmed the graphitization type of the deposited carbon.Graphical abstract

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Alternative energy / Carbides / Carbon / Catalysts / Catalytic activity / Cobalt / Cobalt ferrites / Cracking (chemical engineering) / Decomposition / Fixed beds / Flow velocity / Gas flow / Gases / Graphitization / Hydrocarbons / Hydrogen / Hydrogen production / Methane / Nanostructure / Temperature / Temperature effects / X-ray diffraction