Effect of Cu loading on for hydrogen production by oxidative steam reforming of methanol

Catalytic performance of Cu / CeO 2 catalysts was studied as a function of Cu loading in the oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM) reaction. The reduction of CuO / CeO 2 catalysts evidenced the existence of different kinds of CuO species. Their reduction peaks shift to higher temperatures as a function of the CuO loading. The catalyst which exhibited a reduction peak at 242 ∘ C showed low activity on the OSRM reaction and poor H 2 selectivity. SEM, XRD and TPR analyses of this sample revealed the strong influence of the large crystallites of Cu on the catalyst performance. Catalysts with 2 and 6 wt% of copper showed a similar activity in the OSRM reaction. However, the highest H 2 selectivity was observed on the 2 Cu / CeO 2 catalyst in the range of 210 – 230 ∘ C . Above 230 ∘ C , H 2 selectivity was improved on the 6 Cu / CeO 2 sample and decreased in the 2Cu catalyst. A diminished H 2 selectivity is attributed to the loss of the active copper phase by oxidation during catalytic reaction, as confirmed by TPR and EPR studies on the 2Cu catalyst after catalytic reaction.