Effect of Cr promoter on performance of steam reforming of dimethyl ether in a metal foam micro-reactor

• Promoter Cr can reduce the average pore diameter and reduction temperature of catalyst.
• The conversion of dimethyl ether and hydrogen yield reaches 99% and 95% respectively.
• Catalyst is distributed on the metal foam back to maintain the porous structure.

The CuZnAl/HZSM-5, CuZnAlCr/HZSM-5, CuZnAlZr/HZSM-5, CuZnAlCo/HZSM-5, and CuZnAlCe/HZSM-5 catalysts that were prepared by a co-precipitation method was used for hydrogen production from steam reforming of dimethyl ether (SRD) in a metal foam micro-reactor. These catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, TPR, SEM and BET surface areas. The results showed that promoter Cr can reduce the average pore diameter and reduction temperature of catalyst. The conversion of dimethyl ether and hydrogen yield reaches 99% and 95% respectively over CuZnAlCr/HZSM-5 catalyst under a relatively lower reaction temperature. The obtained hydrogen-riched gas is easy to purify and meet the need of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. The effects of reaction temperature, space velocity and steam to DME ratio on SRD were investigated in a metal foam micro-reactor. At the conditions of T = 250 °C, the space velocity of 3884 ml/(g h), steam to DME = 5, DME conversion of >97% were obtained over the CuZnAlCr/HZSM-5 catalyst without obvious deactivation during 50 h.