COPPER-NICKEL CATALYSTS SUPPORTED ON PRASEODYMIUM-DOPED CERIA (PDC) FOR THE WATER-GAS SHIFT REACTION

MARIÑO, FERNANDO; POGGIO, EDUARDO; MORENO, MÁXIMO; BARONETTI, GRACIELA; LABORDE MIGUEL

San José

Simposio; HYPOTHESIS HYdrogen – POwer THeoretical and Engineering Solutions International Symposium; 2011

Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

The aim of this work is to study the behavior of Cu and Ni catalysts supported on praseodymium-doped ceria (PDC) for the WGS reaction. Samples were prepared by impregnation of several PDC supports (praseodymium content in the range 0-50 wt.%) synthesized by the urea thermal decomposition method. Bare support and catalysts were characterized by sortometry, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and TPR. The activity tests were carried out in an atmospheric fixed bed reactor, using a CO/H2O/N2/H2 mixture as the feed stream. Doping with praseodymium increases the generation of oxygen vacancies and the surface reducibility of ceria. Nickel catalysts are more active than copper ones but, in both cases, catalysts supported on PDC with 5 Pr wt% are more active than ceria-supported samples. Methanation, which is likely to occur on Ni catalysts, is partially reduced in samples supported on praseodymium-doped ceria.