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The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide
Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Chemical Engineering
2016
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| _version_ | 1867613217754185728 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ahmed, Zaheera |
| author2 | Jack, Calvin |
| author_browse | Ahmed, Zaheera Jack, Calvin |
| author_facet | Jack, Calvin Ahmed, Zaheera |
| author_sort | Ahmed, Zaheera |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be converted to CH4 via selective methanation. A selective catalyst primarily methanates CO and inhibits the methanation of CO2 which results in the over consumption of H2. Common catalysts for SMET include Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/Y zeolites.
This study involved the use of Ru/Y zeolite catalysts with loadings between 1 wt.%-5.4 wt.% Ru prepared via ion exchange, and a commercial 5 wt.% Ru/Al₂O3. These catalysts were tested in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures between 160°C and 210°C at various space velocities with a feed composition of 1% CO, 20% CO2, 10% H2O, 59% H2 and 10% Ar.
The effects of loading, space velocity and reaction temperature on the CO conversion and CO selectivity were investigated. The 2.2 wt.% was found to be the optimum loading by displaying the highest selectivity of 72%, and 100% CO conversion at 170°C. The higher loadings produced large amounts of CH4 displaying lower selectivity, coupled with a high undesirable consumption of H2. The 1 wt.% Ru/Y zeolite showed low activity for SMET but was active for the WGS reaction. The 5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 displayed the highest selectivity of 60%, and 100% CO conversion at 180°C. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20032 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:38.580Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20032 The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide Ahmed, Zaheera Jack, Calvin Fletcher, Quintin Chemical Engineering Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be converted to CH4 via selective methanation. A selective catalyst primarily methanates CO and inhibits the methanation of CO2 which results in the over consumption of H2. Common catalysts for SMET include Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/Y zeolites. This study involved the use of Ru/Y zeolite catalysts with loadings between 1 wt.%-5.4 wt.% Ru prepared via ion exchange, and a commercial 5 wt.% Ru/Al₂O3. These catalysts were tested in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures between 160°C and 210°C at various space velocities with a feed composition of 1% CO, 20% CO2, 10% H2O, 59% H2 and 10% Ar. The effects of loading, space velocity and reaction temperature on the CO conversion and CO selectivity were investigated. The 2.2 wt.% was found to be the optimum loading by displaying the highest selectivity of 72%, and 100% CO conversion at 170°C. The higher loadings produced large amounts of CH4 displaying lower selectivity, coupled with a high undesirable consumption of H2. The 1 wt.% Ru/Y zeolite showed low activity for SMET but was active for the WGS reaction. The 5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 displayed the highest selectivity of 60%, and 100% CO conversion at 180°C. 2016-06-17T06:29:26Z 2016-06-17T06:29:26Z 2015 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Eng) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20032 eng application/pdf Department of Chemical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Chemical Engineering Ahmed, Zaheera The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| title_full | The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| title_fullStr | The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| title_full_unstemmed | The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| title_short | The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| title_sort | use of ruthenium y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide |
| topic | Chemical Engineering |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20032 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahmedzaheera theuseofrutheniumyzeolitecatalystsfortheselectivemethanationofcarbonmonoxide AT ahmedzaheera useofrutheniumyzeolitecatalystsfortheselectivemethanationofcarbonmonoxide |