Development of Single Type Copper Alumina Catalysts for Hydrogen Production from Dimethyl Ether (DME)

摘要

Dimethyl ether (DME) is expected as one of clean fuels. We have been studying on DME steam reforming for hydrogen production. Copper alumina catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method produced large quantities of H_2 with DME steam reforming. Aiming at practical use of the catalysts, some experiments were carried out such as catalyst life time tests (durability test) and fixation of the catalysts on commercial catalysts in order to reduce the pressure loss and in order to make the catalysts inexpensive. In the case of the 240-h accelerated durability test, there is no deactivation, so that the sol-gel Cu-Zn/Al_2O_3 catalysts have long durability. The catalysts are easy to fix on the spherical aluminas, and the fixing (coating) makes less the amount of the sol-gel catalysts in the whole catalysts including the alumina. In case of coated spherical alumina (1-2mm diameter) catalyst, the amount of the sol-gel Cu-Zn/Al_2O_3 catalyst was cut down into 1/5 times comparing with the sol-gel powder catalyst. This fixation on commercial spherical alumina will make the price of the catalyst inexpensive, and the pressure loss will be able to decrease. The further development is still need, but the catalysts have enough capability for practical use.