Dimethyl ether synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation over hybrid catalysts: effects of preparation methods

• Published in: Reaction kinetics, mechanisms and catalysis Vol. 121; no. 1; pp. 317 - 327
• Main Authors: Kornas, A., Grabowski, R., Śliwa, M., Samson, K., Ruggiero-Mikołajczyk, M., Żelazny, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2017
• Subjects: Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Physical Chemistry; Dimethyl ether; CO; Copper-based catalysts; hydrogenation
• ISSN: 1878-5190; 1878-5204
• DOI: 10.1007/s11144-017-1153-7

Hybrid catalysts CuO/ZrO 2  + montmorillonite K10 have been tested in the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from CO 2  + H 2 mixture. The metallic function CuO/ZrO 2 was synthesized by three methods i.e. citric method and NaOH or Na 2 CO 3 co-precipitation method. The catalyst prepared with NaOH method was modified by 3 wt% of Ga, Cr, Mn and Ag. In order to determine the physicochemical properties, the following techniques were used: XRD, BET, reactive adsorption of N 2 O and H 2 TPR. All catalysts were tested in a high pressure fixed bed flow reactor under 40 atm pressure in the hydrogenation of CO 2 . The aim of the present study is to examine the influence of the synthesis method and calcination temperature on catalytic activity of studied catalysts. It was found that the CuO/ZrO 2 prepared by citric method and calcined at 823 K is the best catalytic system. Moreover, the addition of 3 wt% Ag significantly improves selectivity to DME from 21 to 35% in comparison with undoped CuO/ZrO 2 .