Methanol synthesis catalysts from thorium-copper intermetallics. Preparation and evaluation

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Ind. Eng. Chem., Prod. Res. Dev.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/i300001a008· OSTI ID:6169280

Baglin, E G; Atkinson, G B; Nicks, L J

Bureau of Mines research into the use of intermetallic compounds as catalytic materials has shown catalysts prepared from binary alloys of copper and thorium to be active for the synthesis of methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Activation of the alloys resulted in oxidation of the thorium yielding high surface area catalysts containing copper interspersed on thoria. For example, catalysts prepared from ThCu/sub x/ alloys by air oxidation at 400/sup 0/C had surface areas as high as 35 m/sup 2//g and produced up 6.7 times as much methanol as a traditional Cu/ZnO/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalyst from 16H/sub 2/:CO synthesis gas in a continuous-flow microreactor at 280/sup 0/C and 60 atm pressure. Standard inlet space velocity was 31,000 h/sup -1/.

• OSTI ID: 6169280
• Journal Information: Ind. Eng. Chem., Prod. Res. Dev.; (United States), Journal Name: Ind. Eng. Chem., Prod. Res. Dev.; (United States) Vol. 20:1; ISSN IEPRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

090221* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ALCOHOLS
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COPPER ALLOYS
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
METHANOL
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SYNTHESIS
THORIUM ALLOYS