Study of some intermetallic compounds in connection with the catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5930329

France, J E

Catalysts prepared from some copper intermetallic compounds, RCu/sub 2/ (R = Th, La, Ce, Pr, Ho), were evaluated for the synthesis of methanol from CO + H/sub 2/. These catalysts were formed by decomposing the intermetallic compounds yielding R oxide and Cu. Activities were measured at 50 atm. using a recirculating reactor and found to be greater than or equal to the CO conversion activity per unit surface area of a traditional coprecipitated CuO-ZnO catalyst. The ThCu/sub 2/-derived catalyst showed a methanol selectivity similar to the CuO-ZnO catalyst while the other catalysts showed a significant ethanol and higher alcohol production. A positive correlation between methanol activity and carbon monoxide chemisorption uptakes was observed. Specific activities for the Fischer-Tropsch and methanation reactions of catalysts prepared from the oxidation of ThNi/sub 5-x/Fe/sub x/ and CeNi/sub 5-x/Co/sub x/ (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) intermetallic compounds were determined. For the ThNi/sub 5-x/Fe/sub x/ series the ThNi/sub 5/-derived catalyst showed the highest activity for both CO conversion and methanation and also yielded the largest percentage of higher hydrocarbons. Conversely, the ThFe/sub 5/-derived catalyst was the least active and produced only methane as the hydrocarbon product.

• OSTI ID: 5930329
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

090221* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ALCOHOLS
ALLOYS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYSTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT ALLOYS
COPPER ALLOYS
HYDROGENATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
IRON ALLOYS
METHANOL
NICKEL ALLOYS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
SYNTHESIS