Hydrogen production from chemical looping CH4-CO2 dry reforming activated by plasma-catalysis synergism

Plasma-based methane conversion is an appealing approach to enable otherwise thermodynamically unfavorable chemical reactions at ambient pressure and near room temperature. However, the cocktail of reactive species formed upon collision of the electrons with the gas molecules results in a wide range of products, and as such, non-thermal plasma is typically not selective in terms of product formation. In this work, we combine plasma with a Ni-based catalyst aiming to improve the selectivity towards hydrogen from methane decomposition and lower the reaction energy barrier. Simultaneously, a new approach of combining the Boudouard reaction method with the catalyst/dielectric material blending method is adopted, solving the problem of carbon deposition on the catalyst surface from both perspectives of removing carbon deposition and inhibiting its formation. Moreover, the mechanism of plasma-catalysis synergistic utilization for methane decomposition into hydrogen is clarified through the micro-kinetic models with experimental characterization methods. This work proposes a new approach to hydrogen production with low carbon emissions while meeting the significant demand for carbon emission reduction technology and presenting the cross-fusion of chemical engineering and plasma physics.