Liquid-phase preparation of catalysts used in slurry reactors to synthesize dimethyl ether from syngas: Effect of heat-treatment atmosphere

A CuZnAl slurry catalyst was prepared directly from a solution of metal salts by an entirely liquid-phase method. The influence of heat-treatment atmospheres with different proportions of CO₂ on the single-step synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from syngas was investigated and the catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS). Results showed that the introduction of CO₂ into the heat-treatment atmosphere made it easier to reduce the catalyst. It also adjusted the Cu⁰/Cu⁺ ratio on the catalyst surface, the CO₂ reacting with the metallic carbide there to form CO, which then reduced part of the Cu₂O to Cu. Moreover, it was concluded that the final phase structure of the catalyst and the Cu/Zn ratio on its surface depended mainly on its composition and the reaction environment and less so on the heat-treatment atmosphere. In the DME synthesis reaction, it was found that the introduction of CO₂ into the heat-treatment atmosphere restrained the water–gas shift reaction and raised the DME selectivity. An optimal amount of CO₂ in the heat-treatment atmosphere favored the increase of the DME space–time yield. The catalysts performed best when the heat-treatment atmosphere contained 50% CO₂.