A novel nickel-based catalyst for methane dry reforming: A metal honeycomb-type catalyst prepared by sol–gel method and electroless plating

•A honeycomb-type nickel catalyst was prepared by sol–gel and electroless plating.•The prepared catalyst demonstrated a high performance for methane dry reforming.•The amount of the deposited carbon onto this catalyst was quite smaller.•The H2/CO ratio as a synthesis gas over this catalyst was a smaller value.•The deposited carbon on this catalyst was whisker type with non-condensed state. A honeycomb-type nickel-based catalyst was prepared by a combination technique consisting of a sol–gel method and an electroless plating method on a stainless steel substrate. The catalyst layer formed onto the fin substrate consisted of an alumina layer and a nickel component. The alumina layer was porous and was about 7μm in thickness, and the nickel component was deposited not only on the alumina surface but also inside the pores. The nickel particles formed on the surface were 70–150nm in diameter. The prepared nickel-based honeycomb catalyst demonstrated a high performance for methane dry reforming, indicating that the catalyst degradation was quite small even under severe CO2/CH4 conditions. The amount of the deposited carbon onto the nickel-based catalyst was much smaller than that on the commercial catalyst, which was thought to be one of the factors in the reduced deterioration of this honeycomb catalyst. Furthermore, the H2/CO ratio as a synthesis gas over this nickel-based catalyst was a smaller value than that of the commercial catalyst, which is a convenient reforming property for alkane manufacturing. The deposited carbon on the nickel-based honeycomb catalyst was a whisker carbon with non-condensed state.