Catalytic hollow fibre membrane micro-reactor: High purity H2 production by WGS reaction

In this study, CuO/CeO2 catalysts with a Cu content ranging from 5% to 40% were synthesized by sol-gel Pechini method and were tested in a fixed-bed reactor for water gas shift (WGS) reaction. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, N-2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K (S-BET) and H-2-TPR. Based on the catalytic activity results, 10% CuO/CeO2, identified to be the most active catalyst, was deposited inside finger-like regions of an Al2O3 hollow fibre support for the further development of both catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR) and catalytic hollow fibre membrane micro-reactor (CHFMMR) where Pd or Pd/Ag membrane was coated on the outer layer of the Al2O3 hollow fibre using a single or multilayer electroless plating (ELP) technique. The prepared catalytic membranes were characterized by SEM, EDX, and pure H-2 and Ar permeation. Also, a comparative study of the CO conversion obtained in the WGS reaction as a function of the reaction temperature (from 200 degrees C to 500 degrees C) in a fixed-bed reactor, a CHFMR, a Pd-CHFMMR and a Pd/Ag-CHFMMR, was performed showing that the conversion was highest in the Pd/Ag-CHFMMR. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.