Methanation Reaction Methods Utilizing Enhanced Catalyst Formulations and Methods of Preparing Enhanced Methanation Catalysts

A methanation reaction process comprising the steps of:

• preparing a nickel-chromium catalyst, wherein the step of preparing comprises the steps of:
• (a) combining a nickel(II) salt and a chromium(III) salt with a nucleation promoter and ammonium hydroxide to form a gel, the gel comprising a solid and a liquid;
• (b) allowing the gel to digest to form a mother liquor and an isolatable solid;
• (c) isolating the solid from the mother liquor;
• (d) washing the solid;
• (e) drying the solid;
• (f) thermally treating the solid to form the nickel-chromium catalyst;
• wherein steps (a)-(f) result in a nickel/chromium ratio of about 98:2 to about 50:50 in the nickel-chromium catalyst;
• providing a single reactor vessel;
• continuously introducing carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas into the single reactor vessel over a fixed bed, the fixed bed comprising the nickel-chromium catalyst;
• allowing the carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas to react in the single reactor vessel at a conversion rate in the presence of the nickel-chromium catalyst at a reaction temperature;
• maintaining the reaction temperature in the single reactor vessel at about 205° C. to about 220° C. by controlling a flow rate of one of the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen gas fed to the single reactor vessel;
• and
• wherein the conversion rate to methane is about 25 percent to about 100 percent.