Hydrogen production from the oxidative steam reforming of methanol over Au-CuO/CeO₂ catalysts

Abstract

Oxidative steam reforming of methanol has been performed on a variety of supported Au catalysts. In this work, the catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation with various (Cu /Au) (wt/wt) ratio and calcinations temperature. Their catalytic activity w ere studied in a micro-reactor with various reaction temperatures ranging from 200 to 400c under atmospheric pressure. A feed of 1.5 m l/hour of the mixture of distilled water, oxyhen, and m ethanol over 3% Au-CuO/CeC 2 catalyst was used. Among the catalysts tested, the 3% (5:1), (Cu/Au) Au -CuO/Ce02 gave methanol con version and hydrogen yield of 95% and 59% 400c, respectively. Moreover, the catalysts were characterized for their morphology, size of the Au particle, and reduction behavior by XRD, TEM ,and TPR , respectively. The TPR result of the 3% Au-Cu0/Ce02 showed that there is some changing in reduction peaks when Cu was doped. Shifting of reduction peaks referred to the metal-metal interaction between Cu and Au particle which reduced the interaction between Au and Ce02 support. Additionally, in the UV-visible spectra showed revealed that 3% (5:1), (C u/A u) Au-CuO /Ce02 calcined at 200c exhibited the biggest size of Au particle with highest Au metallic particle. Moreover, from TEM image, it was shoed that gold particle size is between 5 to 10 nm. Finally, 3% (5:1), (Cu/Au) Au-CuO /CeO2 catalyst calcined at 200 c was used to catalyze DCM and SRM . The result showed that catalyst yield the low methanol conversison for DCM but suitable for SRM .