Mechanism of methanol synthesis on copper/zinc oxide/alumina catalysts

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Catal.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9517(88)90209-6· OSTI ID:5368247

Bowker, M; Hadden, R A; Houghton, H; Hyland, J N.K.; Waugh, K C

This paper deals with the adsorption and temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy of (i) formaldehyde on polycrystalline copper, polycrystalline zinc oxide and (ii) methanol on a copper/zinc oxide/alumina (60:30:10) catalyst. It shows that the energetics of formate hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis on the copper component of the catalyst, which is the rate-determining step in methanol synthesis on the copper/zinc oxide/alumina catalyst, is unaffected by the intimate mixing of copper and zinc oxide in the catalyst. The coverages of the individual components of the copper/zinc oxide/alumina catalyst which had been producing methanol at a rate of 1.9 x 10/sup -9/ mol/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ g/sup -1/ from a carbon dioxide/hydrogen feed (10% CO/sub 2/, 1 bar, 500 K, 36 liters/h) by oxygen, hydrogen, and formate species was determined by carbon monoxide titration and by temperature-programmed desorption. The copper component of the catalyst was covered with oxygen to between 3.5 x 10/sup 14/ and 3.9 x 10/sup 14/ atoms cm/sup -2/ (i.e., between 70 and 78% of saturation). Coexisting with this on the copper component of the catalyst was a formate species, the upper limit of its coverage being 2.6 x 10/sup 14/ molecules cm/sup -2/. The zinc oxide component of the catalyst appeared to be hydrided or to contain interstitial hydrogen to a value greater than monolayer coverage during steady-state reaction.

• Research Organization: Imperial Chemical Industries plc, Cheshire (England)
• OSTI ID: 5368247
• Journal Information: J. Catal.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Catal.; (United States) Vol. 109:2; ISSN JCTLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ADSORPTION
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYSIS
CATALYST SUPPORTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COPPER
DESORPTION
ELEMENTS
FORMALDEHYDE
HYDROGEN
HYDROGENATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
METALS
METHANOL
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
SORPTION
SYNTHESIS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES