EFFECTS OF PREPARATION OF Cu/Zn OVER Al2O3 CATALYSTS FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM METHANOL REFORMING

A novel catalyst for hydrogen production from the catalytic methanol reforming process could play an important role in hydrogen production to be used as a feed for a fuel cell. This study focuses on the preparation methods of active Cu/Zn based catalysts with and without urea by incipient wetness impregnations to lower the metal loading and catalyst cost. The catalytic methanol reforming was studied in a fixed-bed reactor under mild conditions and a reaction temperature range of 453 and 523 K in order to lower energy costs. The activity in the hydrogen production of the impregnated catalysts and a commercial catalyst was analyzed by gas chromatography and compared in terms of hydrogen production yield. The catalysts were also characterized by XRD and SEM in order to identify the physical and chemical properties of the catalysts. The data show that the activity in hydrogen production from the catalysts with urea is higher than that of the catalysts without urea. The impregnated catalysts could exhibit activity at as low a temperature as 453 K which indicates the possibility of lowering the reaction temperature for the methanol reforming process. The Cu/Zn catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation over Al2O3 with urea could exhibit high activity about 28% H-2 yield with efficiency about 97% compared with the commercial catalyst. The impregnated catalysts could be alternative catalysts for hydrogen production from methanol reforming with a lower cost of the catalyst compared with the co-precipitation method used in a commercial one.