Activation of a cement-containing nickel catalyst for ammonia dissociation

Abstract

The activation behavior of the KDA-10A (NIAP-13-02) commercial cement-containing nickel catalyst at temperatures of up to 750°C has been investigated by temperature-programmed reduction, hightemperature X-ray diffraction, and activation dynamics methods. The catalyst activation dynamics has been studied at 600, 650, 700, and 750°C. At 700–750°C and a heat treatment time of 6.0 h, the catalyst is almost completely activated. The high degrees of nickel dispersion and high catalytic activities observed at 700–750°C indicate a high thermal stability of the catalyst. A shortened catalyst activation procedure is recommended for industrial implementation.