Methanol steam reforming over Cu/SiC catalysts.

Abstract

Methanol steam reforming reaction over copper on silicon carbide (Cu/SiC) catalyst was investigated in the production of hydrogen for fuel cell applications. Catalytic performances (activities, hydrogen production amount and concentration of carbon monoxide (CO)) were highly dependent upon the calcmation temperature of the catalyst. The calcination at the temperature below 1073K in air leads to formation of amorphous silica (SiO2) layer on the surface of the catalyst, which stabilizes Cu active sites against sintering during reactions.