Study On The Production Of Higher Alcohols Through Syngas Conversion

The technology development for converting syngas to produce higher alcohols will have a great contribution to the economy and the solution to the current energy issues of fossil energy growing depletion, and is of great practical significance.A Cu-Co-based catalyst has been prepared in this paper, and the evaluation of this catalyst has been carried out in a fixed bed reactor for the conversion of syngas to produce higher alcohols.Firstly, the effect of space velocity on the reaction performance of catalysts has been studied. It was founded that increasing the space velocity could reduce the conversion rate of H₂ and CO, and increase the yield of higher alcohols, but there was no obviously effect on the alcohol distribution when increasing the space velocity. In addition, the increase in space velocity was favourable for the methanation reaction and WGS reaction, leading to the generation of more by-products CH₄ and H₂O.Secondly, the effect of calcination temperature on the reaction performance of catalysts has been studied. Experimental results show that a higher calcination temperature could increase the H₂ and CO conversion rates and the yield of higher alcohols, and was favourable for the reaction of carbon chain and WGS reaction. When the calcinations temperature was 400℃, the Cu-Co-based catalyst turned into a special phase, resulting in a different reaction performance in comparison with that other calcinations temperature. Increasing the calcinations time could increase the H₂ and CO conversion rates and the yield of higher alcohols, and was favourable for the reaction of carbon chain growth and WGS reaction, but inhibited the methanation reaction.Thirdly, the effect of carbon nanotubes as catalyst support on the reaction performance of catalysts has been discussed. Adding a certain amount of carbon nanotubes could increase the H₂ and CO conversion rates and the yield of higher alcohols, and enhance the carbon chain growth reaction, but inhibit the methanation reaction. For the catalysts which the Cu/Co was 3/1, when the addition amount of carbon nanotubes was 10%, the conversion rates of the H₂ and CO and the yield of higher alcohols of the catalyst has increased 59.17%, 50.02% and 30.54% respectively, compared to that without the addition of carbon nanotu bes.Finally, a fluidized bed reactor for the gasification of biomass to produce syngas have been designed based on the extensive calculations.