Influence of CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 wash-coating slurries on the steam reforming reaction of methanol

A micro-channel reactor for methanol steam reforming is a candidate to supply hydrogen on-site to fuel cells. Micro-channel beds wash-coated with poor quality slurry formulations lead to poorer performance than packed beds using pellet catalysts. This study explored the morphology, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectrum, BET surface area and activity of wash-coating catalyst layers from a series of catalyst slurries. All catalyst slurries were prepared from the commercial MDC-3 catalyst. Hydrogen production using wash-coating catalyst layers was performed under packed bed conditions. The results reveal that the solubility level of the MDC-3 catalyst during the slurry preparation process affected the activity of methanol steam reforming. It is difficult to reconstruct the original fine structure, as the MDC-3 catalyst had a higher solubility status after slurry preparation. The volume of the micro-channel catalyst bed was approximately 0.3 cm3. It can supply hydrogen to fuel cells that can produce approximately 8 W with 80% H2 utilization and 60% fuel cell efficiency.

► Wash-coating catalyst layers were characterized by morphological and structural analyses, and activity test.
► Catalytic activity of micro-channel bed is better than that of packed bed.
► Slurry preparation processes avoid destroying the fine structures of original catalysts.
► Poor slurry preparation processes affect initial activity and long-term durability of catalyst.