Study on the regeneration of deactivated NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for the conversion of natural gas with CO2 to synthesis gas by TG

Thermogravimetry was used to follow the oxidation–reduction as well as the regeneration processes of deactivated NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalysts. The results indicate that the catalysts, whose deactivation was caused by the sintering of metallic Ni and by the forming of NiAl2O4 species, could be regenerated through a reduction–oxidation method. Especially, the regeneration of NiAl2O4 to NiO was more than 90%.