Steam reforming of dimethyl ether over Cu–Ni/γ-Al_2O_3 bi-functional catalyst:Effect of calcination temperature

2Cu-1Ni/5?-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by the deposition precipitation method for dimethyl ether steam reforming(DME SR)reaction.The effect of the different calcination temperature on catalyst structure and performance was investigated by using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)method,H2 temperature-programmed reduction(H2-TPR),and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results showed that the effect of calcination temperature on the catalyst was remarkable.The catalyst calcined at 500 ℃ had moderate BET surface area,pore volume and average pore diameter.As calcination temperature rose,the content of spinel copper increased,and the particle diameter of metal copper also increased.An appropriate calcination temperature could ensure a suitable strength of interaction between metal and carrier to achieve higher reactivity and stability.The optimum calcination temperature was 500 ℃.