Differentrareearth(RE=La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm,Y)andCumodifiednickelcatalystsforhydrogenproductionfrommethanedecompositionweresynthesizedbyasol-gelprocessandmethod.ThecatalystswerecharacterizedoranalyzedthroughBrumauer-Emmett-Teller(BET),X-raydiffraction(XRD),scanningelectronmicroscopy(SEM),transmissionelectronmicroscopy(TEM)techniques.Andthehydrogenproductionperformancewasalsoevaluatedbyafixed-bedandmicro-reactiontechniquewithCH4→C+H2asaprobereaction.Theresultsshowedthatrareearthmodificationhadplayedagreatrolefornickelcatalysts,forexample,smallernickelparticles,goodthermalstability,highactivity,etc.Lawasthebestadditiveamongrareearthmodification.TheSEMofrareearthmodifiedcatalystsshowedorderedflower-likestructureandrareearthmodificationmadethenickelparticlesmovetothesurfaceofcatalysts.Inaddition,theSEMofnano-carbonswasalsochangedbyrareearthmodificationwithlong,narrownano-carbonfibersortubesobtained.Solidcarbonformationwaspreventedbyrareearthmodification.
