Cr2O3 promoted skeletal Cu catalysts for the reactions of methanol steam reforming and water gas shift

Promotional effects of chromia on the structure and activity of skeletal co pper catalysts for methanol steam reforming and water gas shift have been s tudied. Catalysts were prepared by leaching CuAl2 alloy particles in aqueou s NaOH solutions containing sodium chromate at various concentrations. XPS spectra showed that the surface of the resulting catalysts mainly consisted of Cr3+ compounds and Cu-0. Cu+ and/or Cu2+ were not observed by XPS. Increasing the concentration of chromate in the leach liquor resulted in de creases in pore diameter and copper crystallite size but significant enhanc ement of BET surface area was observed while the total pore volume was main tained. The addition of small amounts of chromate to the leach liquor signi ficantly enhanced the Cu surface area. However, higher concentrations of ch romate in the leach liquor decreased the Cu surface areas although the tota l surface areas increased. The activities of Cr2O3 promoted skeletal copper catalysts for both methano l steam reforming and water gas shift reactions were determined separately. The results indicated that deposition of Cr2O3 On Skeletal copper catalyst s significantly improved the specific activities for these reactions. Chrom ia is found to act as a structural and catalytic promoter for these reactio ns. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.