TAP investigations of the CO2 reforming of CH4 over Pt/ZrO2

The adsorption and reaction characteristics of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen have been investigated over a ZrO2support and a Pt/ZrO2catalyst by using a temporal analysis of products reactor system. It was observed that on Pt/ZrO2both methane and carbon dioxide dissociate independently of one another. The dissociation of carbon dioxide acts as an oxygen supplier, while the decomposition products of methane scavenge the oxygen from the catalyst. When an abundance of oxygen is present, pulsing of methane leads to the production of carbon dioxide. It is concluded that both the selectivity with which methane produces carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide conversion is determined by the same reaction: COads+Oads CO2,ads.