Characterization of CuO/ZnO under oxidizing conditions for the oxidative methanol reforming reaction

Catalytic generation of hydrogen by the reaction of methanol with oxygen in the presence of steam over an industrial copper-zinc oxide catalyst was st udied. Under differential oxygen conversion conditions, the catalyst remain ed in an oxidized state, and the main reaction was oxidation of methanol to carbon dioxide and water. The activity was proportional to the copper oxid e surface area. The methanol consumption rate had a small positive order in methanol and oxygen (0.18th order) and was suppressed by water. The cataly st deactivated with time on stream due to agglomeration of copper oxide. As the reactor temperature increased, the rate of methanol oxidation increase d, the oxygen conversion became very high, and the catalyst away from the r eactor entrance became reduced. Then, a significant rate of hydrogen produc tion was observed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.