| 1. |
- Agrell, J., et al.
(författare)
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Production of hydrogen by partial oxidation of methanol over Cu/ZnO catalysts prepared by microemulsion technique
- 2001
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Ingår i: Applied Catalysis A. - 0926-860X .- 1873-3875. ; 211:2, s. 239-250
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Production of hydrogen by partial oxidation of methanol, using air as oxidant. has been studied over a series of Cu/ZnO catalysts prepared by microemulsion technique. The catalytic activity was compared to that of a reference catalyst prepared by conventional co-precipitation. The BET surface areas of the microemulsion catalysts (30-70 wt.% Cu) ranged from 22 to 36 m(2)/g and were considerably lower than that of the reference (60 m(2)/g). Nevertheless, the microemulsion catalysts were more active in the partial oxidation reaction and exhibited high hydrogen and carbon dioxide selectivities. At a molar O-2/CH3OH ratio of 0.1, hydrogen production was initiated at about 185 degreesC over the microemulsion catalysts. Over the reference, hydrogen production began at 215 degreesC under the same conditions. The catalytic activity was Found to be strongly dependent on the partial pressure of oxygen, which also plays an important role in determining the product distribution. By increasing the O-2/CH3OH ratio, the methanol conversion and carbon dioxide selectivity increase. while production of water occurs at the expense of hydrogen. By TEM and TPR, it was observed that Cu is less well-dispersed in the microemulsion catalysts than in the reference. The higher catalytic activity is not expected considering the lower number of exposed Cu sites, i.e, the turnover frequencies are substantially higher over the microemulsion catalysts. It is possible that, a strong interaction between a small part of CuO and the ZnO lattice is responsible for the higher turnover frequencies of the microemulsion catalysts, or that particular crystallographic Cu planes or surface imperfections are the active sites of the reaction.
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| 2. |
- Agrell, J., et al.
(författare)
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Production of hydrogen by partial oxidation of methanol over ZnO-supported palladium catalysts prepared by microemulsion technique
- 2003
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Ingår i: Applied Catalysis A. - 0926-860X .- 1873-3875. ; 242:2, s. 233-245
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Selective production of hydrogen by partial oxidation of methanol, using air as oxidant, was studied over a series of ZnO-supported Pd catalysts. Microemulsion-assisted synthesis and conventional impregnation techniques were used for preparation of catalysts containing Pd particles of different sizes. Catalyst characterisation included BET, XRD and TEM analyses. The influence of Pd particle size on catalytic activity and product distribution was studied by carrying out activity measurements at temperatures between 230 and 300 degreesC using a stoichiometric feed composition. All catalysts performed well with respect to methanol conversion and hydrogen yield. Both methanol conversion and hydrogen selectivity increased with increasing reaction temperature, the latter at the expense of water formation. Oxygen conversion was complete throughout the examined temperature range. These selectivity trends, with a strong dependence of hydrogen and carbon monoxide selectivities on methanol conversion and reaction temperature, support a reaction scheme consisting of consecutive methanol combustion, steam reforming and decomposition. More importantly, a correlation between Pd particle size and carbon monoxide selectivity was found. When the microemulsion catalysts are compared, carbon monoxide formation increases with increasing particle size. This was not observed over the impregnated reference catalysts, which exhibited high carbon monoxide-levels throughout the examined temperature range. Bimetallic PdZn particles were detected in spent catalysts by means of XRD and it is suggested that the catalytic activity is dependent on the formation of PdZn, the catalytic function being different from that of Pd-0.
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| 3. |
- Agrell, J., et al.
(författare)
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Production of hydrogen from methanol over binary Cu/ZnO catalysts - Part I. Catalyst preparation and characterisation
- 2003
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Ingår i: Applied Catalysis A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-860X .- 1873-3875. ; 253:1, s. 201-211
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mixed copper-zinc oxide catalysts (Cu/ZnO) were prepared by two different techniques, i.e. from hydroxycarbonate precursors formed in aqueous solution and from oxalate precursors formed in water-in-oil microemulsion. Their physicochemical properties were characterised by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, N2O chemisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and oxidation (TPO). The BET surface areas ranged from 34 to 87 m(2)/g, depending on the method of preparation. Cu surface areas between 6.6 and 22 m(2)/g were measured. It was a general observation that catalysts prepared by microemulsion technique had lower Cu dispersions than expected (3.4-5.7%), due to a proposed partial embedding of Cu in ZnO. The catalyst prepared by carbonate co-precipitation exhibited a significantly higher Cu dispersion (10.3%). In addition, this catalyst displayed better resistance to successive TPR/TPO than the microemulsion catalysts, which exhibited significant Cu crystallite growth. However, the microemulsion route provided well-mixed materials with a narrow particle size distribution and the possibility to obtain high BET surface areas (up to 87 m(2)/g) by controlling the water/surfactant ratio in the microemulsion. XPS measurements revealed the existence of Cu+ species on the surface of both types of catalysts after exposure to a O-2/CH3OH mixture. The surface composition of the hydroxycarbonate-derived sample was unaffected by reduction in hydrogen and exposure to O-2/CH3OH, while Zn-enrichment on the surface was observed in the microemulsion catalysts after reduction, indicating sintering of the Cu particles. These observations were consistent with the TPR/TPO measurements.
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| 4. |
- Agrell, J., et al.
(författare)
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Production of hydrogen from methanol over binary Cu/ZnO catalysts - Part II. Catalytic activity and reaction pathways
- 2003
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Ingår i: Applied Catalysis A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-860X .- 1873-3875. ; 253:1, s. 213-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The activity for conversion of methanol into hydrogen was investigated over binary Cu/ZnO catalysts derived from precursors prepared by two different techniques, viz. oxalates formed in microemulsion and hydroxycarbonates formed in aqueous solution. Some distinct differences in the reaction pathways were observed. During partial oxidation of methanol under a sub-stoichiometric oxygen/methanol ratio, the microemulsion materials exhibited considerably higher combustion activity in the low-temperature region than a catalyst prepared in aqueous solution. Over the former, oxygen was quickly converted by methanol combustion, after which steam reforming was initiated, producing hydrogen at the expense of water and gradually decreasing the net heat of reaction. Hence, a reaction sequence for the partial oxidation reaction over microemulsion catalysts is proposed. consisting of consecutive methanol combustion and steam reforming, followed by decomposition when all oxygen has been consumed. Over the hydroxycarbonate catalyst, the reaction ignited at a higher temperature, directly producing hydrogen by partial oxidation of methanol. When the two types of catalysts were evaluated in the steam reforming reaction, all catalysts displayed the typical S-shaped dependence of methanol conversion on temperature. However, there was a downward shift in the temperature at which methanol reached complete conversion, favouring the hydroxycarbonate, material. Hydrogen was produced selectively over all catalysts, but carbon monoxide formation was more pronounced over the microemulsion materials. The differences in catalytic behaviour are discussed in terms of catalyst morphology and the valence state of Cu in the working catalyst.
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| 5. |
- Agrell, J., et al.
(författare)
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Production of hydrogen from methanol over Cu/ZnO catalysts promoted by ZrO2 and Al2O3
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Catalysis. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9517 .- 1090-2694. ; 219:2, s. 389-403
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Production of H-2 from methanol by steam reforming, partial oxidation, or a combination thereof was studied over Cu/ZnO-based catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by a variety of techniques, including N2O chemisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and temperature-programmed reduction/oxidation. The influence of feed composition, reaction temperature, and catalyst formulation on H-2 production rate, product distribution, and catalyst lifetime was investigated. Distinct differences between the processes were observed with respect to catalyst behavior. ZrO2-containing catalysts, especially Cu/ZnO/ZrO2/Al2O3, exhibit the best performance in the steam reforming reaction. During partial oxidation, however, a binary Cu/ZnO catalyst exhibits the lowest light-off temperature and the lowest level of CO by-product. The redox properties of the catalyst appear to play a key role in determining the pathway for H-2 production. In particular. the extent of methanol and/or H-2 combustion at differential O-2 conversion is strongly dependent on the ease of copper oxidation in the catalyst.
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| 6. |
- Agrell, J., et al.
(författare)
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Steam reforming of methanol over a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst : a kinetic analysis and strategies for suppression of CO formation
- 2002
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Ingår i: Journal of Power Sources. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 106:1-2, s. 249-257
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Steam reforming of methanol (CH3OH + H2O --> CO2 + 3H(2)) was studied over a commercial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst for production of hydrogen onboard proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell vehicles. A simple power-law rate expression was fitted to experimental data in order to predict the rates Of CO2 and H-2 formation under various reaction conditions. The apparent activation energy (E-a) was estimated to be 100.9 kJ mol(-1), in good agreement with values reported in the literature. Appreciable amounts of CO by-product were formed in the reforming process at low contact times and high methanol conversions. Being a catalyst poison that deactivates the electrocatalyst at the fuel cell anode at concentrations exceeding a few ppm, special attention was paid to the pathways for CO formation and strategies for its suppression. It was found that increasing the steam-methanol ratio effectively decreases CO formation. Likewise, addition of oxygen or air to the steam-methanol mixture minimises the production of CO. By shortening the contact time and lowering the maximum temperature in the reactor, CO production can be further decreased by suppressing the reverse water-gas shift reaction.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Robert
(författare)
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Catalytic conversion of syngas to higher alcohols over MoS2-based catalysts
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present thesis concerns catalytic conversion of syngas (H2+ CO) into a blend of methanol and higher alcohols, an attractive way of producing fuels and chemicals. This route has the potential to reduce the oil dependence in the transport sector and, with the use of biomass for the syngas generation, produce CO2-neutral fuels.Alkali promoted MoS2-based catalysts show a high selectivity to higher alcohols, while at the same time being coke resistant, sulfur tolerant and displaying high water-gas shift activity. This makes this type of catalyst especially suitable for being used with syngas derived from biomass or coal which typically has a low H2/CO-ratio.This thesis discusses various important aspects of higher alcohol synthesis using MoS2-based catalysts and is a summary of four scientific papers. The first part of the thesis gives an introduction to how syngas can be produced and converted into different fuels and chemicals. It is followed by an overview of higher alcohol synthesis and a description of MoS2-based catalysts. The topic alcohol for use in internal combustion engines ends the first part of the thesis.In the second part, the experimental part, the preparation of the MoS2-based catalysts and the characterization of them are handled. After describing the high-pressure alcohol reactor setup, the development of an on-line gas chromatographic system for higher alcohol synthesis with MoS2 catalysts is covered (Paper I). This method makes activity and selectivity studies of higher alcohol synthesis catalysts more accurate and detailed but also faster and easier. Virtually all products are very well separated and the established carbon material balance over the reactor closed well under all tested conditions. The method of trace level sulfur analysis is additionally described.Then the effect of operating conditions, space velocity and temperature on product distribution is highlighted (Paper II). It is shown that product selectivity is closely correlated with the CO conversion level and why it is difficult to combine both a high single pass conversion and high alcohol selectivity over this catalyst type. Correlations between formed products and formation pathways are additionally described and discussed. The CO2 pressure in the reactor increases as the CO conversion increases, however, CO2 influence on formation rates and product distribution is to a great extent unclear. By using a CO2-containing syngas feed the effect of CO2 was studied (Paper III).An often emphasized asset of MoS2-based catalysts is their sulfur tolerance. However, the use of sulfur-containing feed and/or catalyst potentially can lead to incorporation of unwanted organic sulfur compounds in the product. The last topic in this thesis covers the sulfur compounds produced and how their quantity is changed when the feed syngas contains H2S (Paper IV). The effect on catalyst activity and selectivity in the presence of H2S in the feed is also covered.
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Correlation patterns and effect of syngas conversion level for product selectivity to alcohols and hydrocarbons over molybdenum sulfide based catalysts
- 2012
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Ingår i: Applied Catalysis A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-860X .- 1873-3875. ; 417, s. 119-128
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The focus of the present study was to investigate the effect of the operation conditions, space velocity and temperature, on product distribution for a K-Ni-MoS2 catalyst for mixed alcohol synthesis from syngas. All experiments were performed at 91 bar pressure and constant H-2/CO=1 syngas feed ratio. For comparison, results from a non-promoted MoS2 catalyst are presented. It was found that the CO conversion level for the K-Ni-MoS2 catalyst very much decides the alcohol and hydrocarbon selectivities. Increased CO conversion by means of increased temperature (tested between 330 and 370 degrees C) or decreased space velocity (tested between 2400 and 18,000 ml/(g(cat) h)), both have the same effect on the product distribution with decreased alcohol selectivity and increased hydrocarbon selectivity. Increased CO conversion also leads to a greater long-to-short alcohol chain ratio. This indicates that shorter alcohols are building blocks for longer alcohols and that those alcohols can be converted to hydrocarbons by secondary reactions. At high temperature (370 degrees C) and low space velocity (2400 ml/(g(cat) h)) the selectivity to isobutanol is much greater than previously reported (9%C). The promoted catalyst (K-Ni-MoS2) is also compared to a non-promoted (MoS2) catalyst: the promoted catalyst has quite high alcohol selectivity, while almost only hydrocarbons are produced with the non-promoted catalyst. Another essential difference between the two catalysts is that the paraffin to olefin ratio within the hydrocarbon group is significantly different. For the non-promoted catalyst virtually no olefins are produced, only paraffins, while the promoted catalyst produces approximately equal amounts of C-2-C-6 olefins and paraffins. Indications of olefins being produced by dehydration of alcohols were found. The selectivity to other non-alcohol oxygenates (mostly short esters and aldehydes) is between 5 and 10%C and varies little with space velocity but decreases slightly with increased temperature. Very strong correlation patterns (identical chain growth probability) and identical deviations under certain reaction conditions between aldehyde and alcohol selectivities (for the same carbon chain length) indicate that they derive from the same intermediate. Also olefin selectivity is correlated to alcohol selectivity, but the correlation is not as strong as between aldehydes and alcohols. The selectivity to an ester is correlated to the selectivity to the two corresponding alcohols, in the same way as an ester can be thought of as built from two alcohol chains put together (with some H-2 removed). This means that, e.g. methyl acetate selectivity (C-3) is correlated to the combination of methanol (C-1) and ethanol (C-2) selectivities.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of CO2 in the synthesis of mixed alcohols from syngas over a K/Ni/MoS2 catalyst
- 2013
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Ingår i: Fuel. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-2361 .- 1873-7153. ; 107, s. 715-723
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An unsupported K-Ni-MoS2 catalyst for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas (H-2/CO) has been studied during 360 h on stream. It shows a gradual increase in activity with time on stream and some possible reasons for this are discussed in the paper. The main focus of this paper was to study the on the effect of CO2-containing syngas, relative CO2-free syngas under identical reaction conditions and identical inlet H-2 and CO partial pressures (340 degrees C, 100 bar, GHSV = 6920 ml/(g(cat) h)). The effect of increased partial pressure of H-2 and CO was also studied, and to a minor extent also the effect of changed gas hourly space velocity (GHSV). Under the studied conditions, addition of CO2 was found to greatly decrease total product yield, while the selectivities to alcohol and hydrocarbons (C%, CO2-free), respectively, were unchanged. CO2 addition, however, led to a great change in the distribution within the alcohol and hydrocarbon groups. With CO2 added the methanol selectivity increased much while selectivity to longer alcohols decreased. For hydrocarbons the effect is the same, the selectivity to methane is increased while the selectivity to longer hydrocarbons is decreased. It has earlier been shown that product selectivities are greatly affected by syngas conversion level (correlated to outlet concentration of organic products, i.e. alcohols, hydrocarbons etc.) which can be altered by changes in space velocity or temperature. This means that alcohol selectivity is decreased in favor of increased hydrocarbon selectivity and longer alcohol-to-methanol ratio when syngas conversion is increased. At first it might be thought that the selectivity changes occurring when CO2 is present in the feed, just correlate to a decreased organic product concentration in the reactor and that the selectivities with CO2-containing and CO2-free syngas would be identical under constant concentration of organic products in the reactor. However, CO2-addition studies where space velocity was varied showed that significantly lower alcohol selectivity (mainly ethanol selectivity) and increased hydrocarbon selectivity (mainly methane) were found at similar organic outlet concentrations as when CO2-free syngas was feed. Comparing addition of extra H-2 or extra CO, it was found that a high H-2/CO ratio (H-2/CO = 1.52 tested in our case) favors maximum product yield, especially methanol formation, while a lower H-2/CO ratio (H-2/CO = 0.66 tested in our case) leads to higher yield of higher alcohols simultaneously minimizing hydrocarbon and methanol formation.
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Higher alcohols from syngas using a K/Ni/MoS2 catalyst : Trace sulfur in the product and effect of H2S-containing feed
- 2014
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Ingår i: Fuel. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-2361 .- 1873-7153. ; 115, s. 544-550
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two types of experiments have been performed related to the higher alcohol synthesis from syngas over a K-Ni-MoS2 catalyst which beforehand has been operated for 1000 h on stream in sulfur-free syngas. In the first experimental part, sulfur-free syngas was used as feed and the condensed liquid product was found to contain 67 ppmw sulfur, while the sulfur concentration in the gas was 19 ppmv. The gas phase was found to contain mainly COS and H2S, while the liquid phase contained methanethiol (13.8 ppmw S), ethanethiol (10.6 ppmw S), dimethyl sulfide (21.3 ppmw S), ethyl methyl sulfide (12.2 ppmw S), unidentified sulfur compounds (7.9 ppmw S) together with some dissolved COS (0.5 ppmw S) and H2S (1.2 ppmw S). In the second experimental part, the effect of feeding syngas containing 170 ppm H2S compared to a sulfur-free syngas was studied, while all products were carefully monitored online. The presence of H2S in the syngas was found to increase CO conversion, but the largest change was found in product selectivity. The hydrocarbon selectivity greatly increased at the expense of alcohol selectivity, while the alcohol distribution shifted towards longer alcohols (increased C2+OH/MeOH ratio). From product yields it became clear that most of the increased CO conversion with H2S in the feed was due to increased methane formation (and CO2 formation due to the water-gas shift reaction). The presence of H2S in the feed greatly increased the concentration of all sulfur compounds. Together with COS, formation of thiols (methanethiol and ethanethiol) was especially favored by the presence of H2S. The thioether concentration also increased, however, to a much lower extent.
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