Hydrogen production by oxidative methanol reforming with various oxidants over Cu-based catalysts

In order to improve the start-up property of a small hydrogen producer with a micro methanol reformer, oxidative methanol reforming (OMR) with various oxidants over copper-based catalysts was examined. The addition of Fe to a Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst resulted in higher catalyst durability, with a slight improvement in catalytic activity, for OMR with air. However, the addition of larger amounts of Fe inhibited further improvement of catalytic performance, possibly due to the formation of less active CuFe₂O₄ spinel in the catalyst. The production of hydrogen by OMR with hydrogen peroxide as an alternative oxidant, which has the potential to provide concentrated hydrogen without nitrogen dilution, was also considered. It was found that hydrogen peroxide is an effective oxidant for OMR over copper-based catalysts due to its ability to suppress CO formation and its improving effect on methanol conversion.