Non-Thermal Plasma-Catalytic Conversion of Biogas to Value-Added Liquid Chemicals via Ni-Fe/Al2O3 Catalyst

Abstract

This study investigates the transformation of biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) into high-value liquid products using Ni/Al2O3, Fe/Al2O3, and Ni-Fe/Al2O3 catalysts in a non-thermal plasma (NTP)-assisted process within a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, operating at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. We compared the effectiveness of these three catalysts, with the Ni-Fe/Al2O3 catalyst showing the highest enhancement in conversion rates, achieving 34.8% for CH4 and 19.7% for CO2. This catalyst also promoted the highest liquid yield observed at 38.6% and facilitated a significant reduction in coke formation to 10.4%, minimizing deactivation and loss of efficiency. These improvements underscore the catalyst’s pivotal role in enhancing the overall process efficiency, leading to the production of key gas products such as hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), alongside valuable liquid oxygenates including methanol, ethanol, formaldehyde, acetic acid, and propanoic acid. The findings from this study highlight the efficacy of combining NTP with the Ni-Fe/Al2O3 catalyst as a promising approach for boosting the production of valuable chemicals from biogas, offering a sustainable pathway for energy and chemical manufacturing.