Mono and bimetallic Cu-Ni structured catalysts for the water gas shift reaction

• Efficient Cu-Ni catalysts supported on activated carbon for the water gas shift reaction.
• Suppressed methanation activity due to the presence of Cu.
• Cu–Ni alloy as a key factor of the catalytic design.
• Good stability and tolerance towards start/stop situations.

The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction over structured Cu, Ni, and bimetallic Cu-Ni supported on active carbon (AC) catalysts was investigated. The structured catalysts were prepared in pellets form and applied in the medium range WGS reaction. A good activity in the 180–350 °C temperature range was registered being the bimetallic Cu-Ni:2-1/AC catalyst the best catalyst. The presence of Cu mitigates the methanation activity of Ni favoring the shift process. In addition the active carbon gasification reaction was not observed for the Cu-containing catalyst converting the active carbon in a very convenient support for the WGS reaction. The stability of the bimetallic Cu-Ni:2-1/AC catalyst under continuous operation conditions, as well as its tolerance towards start/stop cycles was also evaluated.

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