Methanation of carbon monoxide on nickel and nickel-copper alloys

Methanation of CO and CO2, disproportionation of CO, and hydrogenation of carbon deposited on the surface of catalysts have been studied on Ni and Ni-Cu alloy films at low pressures, at temperatures of 250–350 °C. Under these reaction conditions, two steps of the overall mechanism have been identified; namely, dissociation of CO and hydrogenation of deposited carbon by adsorbed hydrogen. CO can be dissociated only on places where carbon atoms can be bound to several Ni atoms simultaneously; therefore addition of Cu to Ni strongly reduces the rate of methanation.