Abstract

Olivines, natural silicates of Mg and Fe, abundant both on the earth's crust that on the Martian soil, are interesting materials suitable for the CH4 generation from CO2 methanation. Particularly, in presence of CO2 and water, they undergoes a process called serpentinization, in which the carbon dioxide is fixed like carbonates and methane, and the water is reduced producing H2 in-situ: (Fe, Mg) SiO4 + nH2O + CO2 → Mg3Si2O5 (OH) 4 +Fe3O4 + CH4↑. This particular reactivity suggest that olivines could be good starting materials for the CO2 methanation. On the other hand, it has been reported the Ni nanoparticles are sites for H2 activation. In this way, the idea of use Ni like dopant onto olivine systems could improve the catalytic performance for CO2 methanation reaction [2]. Thus, in this preliminary work, NiO olivine and Ni-olivine catalysts has been tested by thermal and mechanochemical activation to produce CH4 from CO2 methanation and serpetinization reactions.