Methane Decomposition into Carbon Fibers over Coprecipitated Nickel-Based Catalysts

Decomposition of methane in the presence of coprecipitated nickel-based catalysts to produce carbon fibers was investigated. The reaction was studied in the temperature range of 773 K to 1073 K.At 1023 K, the catalytic activities of three catalysts kept high at the initial period and then decreased with the reaction time. The lifetimes of Ni-Cu-Al and Ni-La-Al catalysts are longer than that of Ni-Al catalyst. With three catalysts, the yield of carbon fibers was very low at 773 K. The yield of carbon fibers for Ni-La-Al catalyst was more than those for Ni-Al and Ni-Cu-Al catalysts. For Ni-La-Al catalyst, the elevation of temperature from 873 K up to 1073 K led gradually to an increase in the yield of carbon fibers.XRD studies on the Ni-La-Al catalyst indicate that La2NiO4 was formed. The formation of La2NiO4 is responsible for the increase in the catalytic lifetime and the yield of carbon fibers synthesized on Ni-La-Al at 773-1073 K. Carbon fibers synthesized on Ni-Al catalyst are thin, long carbon nanotubes. There are bamboo-shaped carbon fibers synthesized on Ni-Cu-Al catalyst. Carbon fibers synthesized on Ni-La-Al catalyst have large hollow core, thin wall and good graphitization.