CO2 utilization via methanation using 40%Ni/CexCr1-xO2 as a novel catalyst: a comparative study of packed-bed and micro-channel reactors

A series of 40% Ni/Ce x Cr 1-x O 2 catalysts with x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.9 and 1 were synthesized using one-pot hydrolysis method as catalysts for the methanation process. The reaction was carried out in a packed-bed and micro-channel reactors. 40 wt% Ni/Ce 0.5 Cr 0.5 O 2 showed the best catalytic performance towards the methanation process at 270 °C, giving 92.63% of CO 2 conversion and 90.53% of CH 4 yield. The catalyst exhibited great stability after 50 h of time-on-stream with carbon deposition around 0.0056 mg h −1 was observed. The micro-channel reactor showed better performance than the packed-bed reactor in term of methane production rate which offered amount of methane production rate 109.1 mL min −1 gcat −1 which nearly 8 times greater than that packed-bed reactor.