Fe–Co/alumina catalysts for production of high calorific synthetic natural gas: Effect of Fe/Co ratio

Abstract The effect of the Fe/Co ratio on the catalytic performance of Fe–Co/alumina catalysts has been investigated in the production of high-calorific synthetic natural gas (SNG) from syngas. Fe–Co/alumina catalysts with different Fe/Co molar ratios were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and characterized using XRD, BET, H 2 -TPR, Raman, XAS, and XPS. At higher Fe/Co ratios (≥2), the calcined Fe–Co/alumina catalysts were mainly composed of α-Fe 2 O 3 and CoFe 2 O 4 . The presence of Co improved the dispersion of iron oxides and the catalyst reducibility under H 2 atmosphere. The Fe–Co/alumina catalysts partially formed FeCo alloys when they were reduced at 350 °C under H 2 . The formation of FeCo alloy destabilized the iron carbide phase and suppressed the carbon chain growth. These Fe–Co/alumina catalysts were efficient in producing high calorific SNG with a heating value of over 60 MJ/Nm 3 .