Influences of preparation methods of ZrO2 support and treatment conditions of Cu/ZrO2 catalysts on synthesis of methanol via CO hydrogenation

ZrO2 supports were prepared by different methods (conventional precipitation method, shortened as “CP”, and alcogel/thermal treated with nitrogen method, shortened as “AN”), and Cu/ZrO2 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method. The supports and catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, TEM and TPR. The effects of the preparation methods of ZrO2 supports and the treatment conditions (calcination and reduction temperatures) of the catalyst precursors on the texture structures of the supports and catalysts as well as on the catalytic performances of Cu/ZrO2 in CO hydrogenation were investigated. The results showed that the support ZrO2-AN had larger BET specific surface area, cumulative pore volume and average pore size than the support ZrO2-CP. Cu/ZrO2-AN catalysts showed higher CO hydrogenation activity and selectivity of oxygenates (C1–C4 alcohols and dimethyl ether) than Cu/ZrO2-CP catalysts. Calcination and reduction temperatures of supports and catalyst precursors affected the catalytic performance of Cu/ZrO2. The conversion of CO and the STY of oxygenates were 12.7% and 229 g/kg h, respectively, over Cu/ZrO2-AN-550 at the conditions of 300 °C, 6 MPa.