Selective CO oxidation on a Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst in the surface ignition regime: 1. Fine purification of hydrogen-containing gases

Abstract

Selective CO oxidation in a mixture simulating the methanol steam reforming product with an air admixture was studied over Ru/Al₂O₃ catalysts in a quasi-adiabatic reactor. On-line monitoring of the gas temperature in the catalyst bed and of the residual CO concentration at different reaction conditions made it possible to observe the ignition and quenching of the catalyst surface, including transitional regimes. A sharp decrease in the residual CO concentration takes place when the reaction passes to the ignition regime. The evolution of the temperature distribution in the catalyst bed in the ignition regime and the specific features of the steady-state and transitional regimes are considered, including the effect of the sample history. In selective CO oxidation and in H₂ oxidation in the absence of CO, the catalyst is deactivated slowly because of ruthenium oxidation. In both reactions, the deactivated catalyst can be reactivated by short-term treatment with hydrogen. A 0.1% Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst is suggested. In the surface ignition regime, this catalyst can reduce the residual CO concentration from 0.8 vol % to 10–15 ppm at O₂/CO = 1 even in the presence of H₂O and CO₂ (up to ∼20 vol %) at a volumetric flow rate of ∼100 1 (g Cat)⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is one magnitude higher than the flow rates reported for this process in the literature.