Hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming carried out in membrane reactor on Cu/Zn/Mg-based catalyst

• Published in: Catalysis today Vol. 137; no. 1; pp. 17 - 22
• Main Authors: Basile, A., Parmaliana, A., Tosti, S., Iulianelli, A., Gallucci, F., Espro, C., Spooren, J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.08.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Catalysis; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Cu/Zn/Mg catalyst; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Hydrogen production; Membrane reactor; Membranes; Methanol steam reforming; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Membrane reactor; Methanol steam reforming; Cu/Zn/Mg catalyst; Hydrogen production; Water; Binary compound; Hydrogen; Alcohol; Selectivity; Supported catalyst; Hydrogen production,Methanol steam reforming,Membrane reactor,Cu/Zn/Mg catalyst; Gas flow; Alkanol; Zinc oxide; Platinoid; Methanol; Aluminium oxide; Flow rate; Magnesium oxide; Fixed bed reactor; Transition metal; Palladium; Conversion; Silver; Heterogeneous catalysis; Steam reforming; Copper oxide; Catalyst activity; Catalyst
• ISSN: 0920-5861; 1873-4308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2008.03.015

The methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction was studied by using both a dense Pd-Ag membrane reactor (MR) and a fixed bed reactor (FBR). Both the FBR and the MR were packed with a new catalyst based on CuOAl 2O 3ZnOMgO, having an upper temperature limit of around 350 °C. A constant sweep gas flow rate in counter-current mode was used in MR and the experiments were carried out by varying the water/methanol feed molar ratio in the range 3/1–9/1 and the reaction temperature in the range 250–300 °C. The catalyst shows high activity and selectivity towards the CO 2 and the H 2 formation in the temperature range investigated. Under the same operative conditions, the MR shows higher conversions than FBR and, in particular, at 300 °C and H 2O/CH 3OH molar ratio higher than 5/1 the MR shows complete methanol conversion.