Performance of a sulfur-resistant commercial WGS catalyst employing industrial coal-derived syngas feed

Catalyst pretreatment and reaction conditions (reaction temperature, H2O/CO molar ratio and space velocity) for the Water Gas Shift reaction were studied in a bench scale set-up, using a commercial catalyst and an industrial coal-derived syngas feed. Catalytic activity showed an important dependence on reaction temperature and space velocity although it remained almost constant with varying H2O/CO molar ratio. The effect of reduction with H2 or sulfide activation with H2S or carbonyl sulfide (COS) was also studied, giving good catalytic results for 94 ppm S provided by either H2S or COS as sulfide agents. Selectivity to hydrogen was close to 100% in all catalytic reaction tests.