Carbon dioxide conversion to fuel over alumina-supported ruthenium catalysts

Abstract

In this study, ruthenium-based catalysts were prepared for CO2 hydrogenation. Incipient-wetness-impregnation of the alumina-support with ruthenium (III) nitrosyl nitrate solution to achieve 0.5 wt% Ru loading on supports was used to prepare these catalysts. Potassium (0–3 % wt%) was used to further promote the catalysts. TPR, CO2-TPD, XRD, TEM, XPS, SEM, and EDS analyses were used to characterize catalyst properties. The hydrogenation of CO2 catalytic tests were conducted and the effect of operating conditions (temperature, pressure, and space velocity) were investigated. These studies were conducted in a tubular fixed-bed reactor. The CO2 conversion over these catalysts was found to be low and the dominating product observed was CH4 with a small amount of C2+ forming when K was added to the catalyst. The optimum potassium loading for improved C2+ product yield over Ru/Al2O3 was 1%K for CO2 hydrogenation.

Keywords

• Ru/Al2O3
• Ru-based catalysts
• CO2 hydrogenation
• Potassium
• Pressure
• Temperature