Cu-Al spinel catalyst prepared by solid phase method for methanol steam reforming

A series of catalysts were prepared by calcination of copper(II) hydroxide and pseudo boehmite with a Cu/Al molar ratio of 1/2.When the calcination temperature was raised from 500 ℃ to 900 ℃,the main component of the catalysts varied from CuO to CuAl2O4,and the catalyst surface area declined from 75.0 to 16.6 m2/g.The catalysts,with CuAl2O4 as main component and high surface area,showed excellent catalytic performance in methanol steam reforming reaction(MSR).In addition,the catalyst,with CuAl2O4 as main component,had the copper releasing as well as sintering,hence the catalytic activity increased first and then decreased.The preferred catalyst was calcined at 800 ℃ and had better catalytic performance than commercial Cu-Zn-Al.Meanwhile,this catalyst can be regenerated after MSR.When the catalyst was not pre-reduced,the methanol conversion was 55.2% at the beginning,and then increased to 79.3% at 288.3 h,and decreased to 63.9% at 1 000.5 h,when reaction conditions were the molar ratio of alcohol to water 1,240 ℃,1.0×106 Pa,WHSV of 1.75 h-1.