Formation of magnesium silicate on surface of silica for steam reforming of liquefied petroleum gas

Magnesium silicate coated on silica (MgxSiO) was developed through the reaction of hydroxyl groups on the silica surface with MgCl2, followed by hydrolyzing with ammonia. The results of XRD, FTIR and N-2 sorption demonstrated that magnesium silicate (MgSiO3) was uniformly formed on silica surface, producing BET surface areas higher than SiO2. CO2-TPD and NH3-TPD results revealed that MgSiO3 formation increased both acidic and basic sites on the silica surface. Ni catalysts supported on MgxSiO were used for steam reforming of liquefied petroleum gas and exhibited better catalytic activity, stability and coke resistance compared with the counterpart on MgO/SiO2 prepared by conventional impregnation method. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.