Infrared spectroscopy analyses of air-CH4 or air-CO gas flows interacting with polycrystalline CeO2, La2O3 and Lu2O3 oxides

A comparative study of reactivity between air-CH4 or air-CO gas flows and CeO2, La2O3 and Lu2O3 rare earth oxides was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses of CO2 gas resulted from the conversion of CH4 or CO gases. Polycrystalline samples of CeO2, La2O3 and Lu2O3 were first prepared by specific precipitation methods followed by low temperature calcination process. In the case of Lu2O3 oxide, a new specific route was proposed. Crystallite dimensions were determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Morphologies were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. Specific surface areas were determined from Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique. Using infrared spectroscopy analyses, the conversion rates of CH4 or CO into CO2 were determined from the evolutions of CO2 vibrational band intensities, as a function of time and temperature. It was clearly established that, despite its low specific surface, the Lu2O3 oxide presented the highest capacity of conversion of CH4 or CO into CO2.