Influence of Contaminants in Steel Mill Exhaust Gases on Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ Catalysts Applied in Methanol Synthesis

The influence of impurities in steel mill exhaust gases on ternary Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts was studied for conventional methanol synthesis, which is one of the central reactions within the cross‐industrial approach of Carbon2Chem®. A series of hydrocarbons was identified as inert spectators for methanol synthesis. Several catalyst poisons like N‐containing compounds or O2 show reversible characteristics at low pressure. However, by increasing the partial pressure of O2, poisoning becomes irreversible, indicating different poisoning mechanisms concerning the reversibility of deactivation

Methanol Synthesis from Steel Mill Exhaust Gases: Challenges for the Industrial Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ Catalyst

One of the major goals of current research on energy conversion is the mitigation of CO2 emission. A beneficial scenario for CO2 utilization is the catalytic conversion of industrial waste or process gases into valuable products. Within the cross‐industry approach of Carbon2Chem® the synthesis of methanol from steel mill exhaust gases is a promising way to close the carbon cycle based on additional sustainably produced H2. New catalyst requirements have to be met due to fluctuating feed gas composition and availability as well as gas separation and purification issues

CO₂ Hydrogenation with Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ : A Benchmark Study

The suitability of a commercial and industrially applied Cu-based catalyst for the synthesis of methanol by CO2 hydrogenation was investigated. Unexpectedly, this system showed high stability and well-performance under conditions that may be relevant for chemical energy conversion using hydrogen and energy from renewable technologies. This Cu-based catalyst demonstrated excellent suitability for dynamical process operation that may be essential for effective compensation of the volatility of renewable energy sources