Preparation of Mo-Bi-V-Al Mixed Oxide Catalysts and Its Application to Methanol Synthesis by Partial Oxidation of Methane

This study was aimed at the development of catalysts for the direct methanol synthesis by partial oxidation of methane. Mo-Bi-V-Al mixed oxide catalysts were prepared and characterized and used in the direct methanol synthesis reaction. The catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method had much larger surface areas than those prepared by the co-precipitation method. The larger the surface area was, the less the methanol selectivity was. The catalysts having larger surface area facilitate the complete oxidation of methane, decreasing the selectivity of methanol. The catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method showed higher methanol selectivity of 13% at 20 degrees C lower temperature than those prepared by the co-precipitation method. Through XRD analysis, it was revealed that the structures of the catalysts prepared by the two methods were different. In the reaction, methanol selectivity increased and carbon dioxide selectivity decreased with pressure due to the suppression of complete oxidation reaction at a high pressure.