Synthesis of Silica Fiber Supported Cu/ZnO Catalyst and Design of a High Selective Steam Reforming Methanol Reactor without Carrier Gas

Nanocrytalline catalyst of Cu/ZnO supported by silicon dioxide (SiO2) fibers has been synthesized by a simple heating of a mixture of metallic nitrous solution, polyethylene glycol solution and SiO2 fibers at temperatures above the decomposition temperature of the PEG. A vertical steam reforming reactor to convert a mixture of water and methanol without using of carrier gas has also been designed using the prepared catalyst. The reactor consisted of an evaporation section at the bottom and reaction section at the top. The steam generated at the bottom moved up automatically to the reaction section because low mass density. Although the conversion efficiency from methanol and water into hydrogen was not high enough, however, the reactor was very selective. The concentration of hydrogen gas produced was above 99% while the poisonous CO gas was undetected.