Synthesis of Methanol under CO2 Rich Syngas Condition and Differently Proportioned Cu/ZnO/ZrO2/Al2O3 Catalysts prepared by Solid-state Method

Abstract

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable resources is an inevitable future path for mankind. Methanol is a type of alcohol made primarily from natural gas. Since carbon dioxide (CO2) can be utilized as the primary carbon source for methanol synthesis, CO2 hydrogenation to methanol synthesis technology is attracting attention as next-generation technology for carbon neutrality. In this study, modified proportions of Zinc and Zirconia were applied to Cu-based Cu/ZnO/ZrO2/Al2O3 catalysts. Each differently composed catalyst was prepared by the solid-state method. The designed catalysts were characterized by N2 physical adsorption, H2-TPR, XRD analytical techniques. The catalytic activity was evaluated through a fixed bed reactor under the conditions of 250 oC, 40 bar, and 4,000 h-1 of GHSV. The optimized composition ratio of manufactured catalysts has been determined and compared with conventional catalyst.