Methanol and methyl fuel catalysts. Quarterly report, September--November 1978

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6535548· OSTI ID:6535548

Klier, K.; Herman, R. G.

The objectives of this research program are the investigation and development of catalytic systems for the synthesis of methanol and methyl fuel from coal-generated synthesis gas and the procurement of kinetic data for reaction mixtures of CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O, and O/sub 2/. The preparation of alkali-doped methanol synthesis catalysts has begun, and the cesium- and rubidium-doped catalysts will be the first to be tested. A second catalytic testing unit was designed and the parts have been ordered. A Cu/Zn/Al catalyts (57/28/15 wt. % as the oxides) was prepared from acetate salts and was tested for methanol syntehsis activity. A high carbon conversion to methanol was observed, but the cataytic activity was lost when CO/sub 2/ was removed from the synthesis gas stream. This catalyst is being fully characterized by x-ray powder diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), surface area measurements, and optical spectroscopy. STEM shows the basic morphological feature to be large hexagonal prisms, while x-ray diffraction demonstrates that the crystalline Cu/sup 0/ and ZnO domains are much smaller. The catalyst is a fine interdisperion of particles of ZnO (50 mol %), with amorphous Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ (23 mol %) and Cu (7.5 at. %) and particles of copper metal. The role of Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ appears to be to enlarge the surface area of the ZnO/Cu phase. The presence of copper in the ZnO/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ particles appears essential for the activity of the catalyst.

• Research Organization: Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (USA). Center for Surface and Coatings Research
• DOE Contract Number: ET-78-S-01-3177
• OSTI ID: 6535548
• Report Number(s): FE-3177-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ALCOHOL FUELS
SYNTHESIS
METHANOL
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CESIUM ADDITIONS
COAL GASIFICATION
COPPER
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
MORPHOLOGY
RUBIDIUM ADDITIONS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ZINC OXIDES
ALCOHOLS
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CESIUM ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
METALS
MICROSCOPY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RUBIDIUM ALLOYS
SCATTERING
SYNTHETIC FUELS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
090221* - Alcohol Fuels- Chemical Synthesis- (1976-1989)
010404 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification