Synthesis and characterization of gallium-promoted copper–ceria catalyst and its application for methanol steam reforming in a packed bed reactor

•A novel copper–ceria catalyst promoted with gallium was synthesized.•XRD revealed that the structure corresponded to the cubic fluorite CeO2.•Methanol steam reforming inside a packed-bed miniaturized reactor was studied.•A 3D finite element model was used to describe the process.

A co-precipitation method was used for the synthesis of a novel copper–ceria catalyst promoted with gallium. Structural characterization was performed by SEM, EDS, BET, XRD, and XPS techniques. Methanol steam reforming was conducted inside a miniaturized LTCC packed bed reactor in the temperature range of 300–400 °C, and hydrogen was successfully produced from a water and methanol mixture. The kinetics of the reforming process were evaluated and the operation of the miniaturized reactor was described with a 3D finite element model, which included all governing mechanisms: fluid dynamics, transport phenomena and reaction kinetics.

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