Silicon carbide (β-SiC) was synthesized through an improved sol–gel method, then Ni/SiC catalysts were prepared using a hydrothermal method. The catalysts were characterized using TEM, H2- TPR, CO2- TPD and N2- TPD, etc. The results showed that the synthesized β-SiC had a large specific surface area, promoting the dispersion of Ni species and thus exposing more active sites. The interaction between Ni species and β-SiC contributed significantly to catalytic performance. Furthermore, the strong alkalinity of catalyst could adjust the bond energy of the active metal and N (M–N), which were conducive to desorption of the recombinant N2 from the metal surface, promoting to ammonia decomposition. Among the Ni/SiC catalysts, 30Ni/SiC-700 synthesized with the Ni loading of 30 wt% and calcination temperature of 700 °C, exhibited the optimal ammonia conversion rate of 93.4% at 600 °C under the space speed of 30,000 mL∙gcat −1∙h−1, and demonstrated a long-term stability, suggesting a very promising catalyst in ammonia decomposition.

Nickel recovery method was studied by the wet process from the catalyst used in hydrogenation process. Nickel content in waste catalyst was about 16%. At the waste catalyst leaching system by the alkaline solution, selective leaching of nickel was possible by amine complex formation reaction from ammonia water and ammonium chloride mixed leachate. The best leaching condition of nickel from mixed leachate was acquired at the condition of pH 8. LIX65N as chelating solvent extractant was used to recover nickel from alkaline leachate. The purity of recovered nickel was higher than 99.5%, and the whole quantity of nickel was recovered from amine complex.

크롬의 첨가에 따른 Raney 니켈의 특성을 파악하여 우수한 성능을 나타낼 수 있는 알칼리형 연료전지용 수소극의 촉매를 제조하였다. 또한 제조된 촉매를 이용, 실제 전극으로 제작하여 전류밀도를 측정한 뒤 최적의 전극재료의 제조조건을 확립하였다. 먼저 Ni-Al합금 제조시 크롬의 첨가량을 달리하여 Raney 니켈을 제조한 뒤 이를 이용하여 수소극을 제작, 전기화학적 특성을 고찰한 결과 크롬 첨가량이 증가함에 따라 mass activity도 증가하여 크롬 첨가량이 1 wt% 인 경우 최고 3.688 A/g을 나타내었다. 전기화학적 측정시 half cell의 운전온도는 80˚C이었으며 전해질은 6N KOH이었다. Raney 니켈 촉매의 입자크기와 비표면 적을 조사한 결과 크롬의 첨가량이 증가함에 따라 Raney 니켈 촉매의 입자크기는 12.11 μm에서 크롬의 첨가량이 1.25 wt%인 경우 11.07 μm로 감소하였고 비표면적은 0.653 m2/g에서 0.685 m2로 중가함을 알 수 있었다. 평균입자 크기가 커짐에 따라 잔존 알루미늄의 함량은 증가함을 알 수 있었다.