Supported Mo/Al₂O₃ Ultrafine Methanatic Catalyst

Abstract

Reactions between hydrogen and carbon monoxide can lead to a variety of useful products depending on catalytic processes. Methanation is one of the most important processes, because it can upgrade the heat value of gas and reduce the carbon monoxide content of town gas from coal¹. In the past several decades, methanation has been investigated extensively, the reaction over a nickel catalyst was first reported by Sabatier and Senderens in the beginning of this century. Since then, nickel catalyst has been studied widely by many scientists because of its high activity and selectivity as well as its low cost². But nickel catalyst is sensitive to sulphur poison. To reduce the cost for the desulphurization, sulphur resistant molybdenum catalysts for methanation have received more attention in recent years, although they have only modest activity and need higher reaction temperature. Ultrafine particle (aerogel) catalyst is of, in general, higher activity as reported by Pajonle³, the ultrafine Mo/Al₂0₃ catalysts for methanation are prepared with supercritical drying.