AMnO3 (A=La, Nd, Sm) and Sm1-xSrxMnO3 perovskites as combustion catalysts: structural, redox and catalytic properties

Catalytic combustion of methane has been investigated over AMnO3 (A = La, Nd, Sm) and Sm1−xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) perovskites prepared by citrate method. The catalysts were characterized by chemical analysis, XRD and TPR techniques. Catalytic activity measurements were carried out with a fixed bed reactor at T = 623–1023 K, space velocity = 40 000 N cm3 g−1 h−1, CH4 concentration = 0.4% v/v, O2 concentration = 10% v/v. Specific surface areas of perovskites were in the range 13–20 m2 g−1. XRD analysis showed that LaMnO3, NdMnO3, SmMnO3 and Sm1−xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.1) are single phase perovskite type oxides. Traces of Sm2O3 besides the perovskite phase were detected in the Sm1−xSrxMnO3 catalysts for x = 0.3, 0.5. Chemical analysis gave evidence of the presence of a significant fraction of Mn(IV) in AMnO3. The fraction of Mn(IV) in the Sm1−xSrxMnO3 samples increased with x. TPR measurements on AMnO3 showed that the perovskites were reduced in two steps at low and high temperature, related to Mn(IV) → Mn(III) and Mn(III) → Mn(II) reductions, respectively. The onset temperatures were in the order LaMnO3 > NdMnO3 > SmMnO3. In Sm1−xSrxMnO3 the Sr substitution for Sm caused the formation of Mn(IV) easily reducible to Mn(II) even at low temperature. Catalytic activity tests showed that all samples gave methane complete conversion with 100% selectivity to CO2 below 1023 K. The activation energies of the AMnO3 perovskites varied in the same order as the onset temperatures in TPR experiments suggesting that the catalytic activity is affected by the reducibility of manganese. Sr substitution for Sm in SmMnO3 perovskites resulted in a reduction of activity with respect to the unsubstituted perovskite. This behaviour was related to the reduction of Mn(IV) to Mn(II), occurring under reaction conditions, hindering the redox mechanism.