Effects of different supports on the catalytic performance of supported Cu-Fe catalyst for CO hydrogenation

A series of supported Cu-Fe catalysts with different oxides (ZnO, ZrO₂, TiO₂, SiO₂, MgO, Al₂O₃) as support were prepared by co-impregnation method, and were characterized by XRD, N₂-adsorption, H₂-TPR and CO-TPD. Their catalytic performances for the synthesis of higher alcohols through CO hydrogenation were investigated in a continuous flow fixed bed micro-reactor at 250℃ under 3 MPa with the space velocity of 6 000 mL/(g·h). The results indicated that SiO₂ supported Cu-Fe catalyst (Cu-Fe/SiO₂) possessed high CuO dispersion which could be easily reduced at low temperatures, and had strong capability for CO adsorption, therefore, exhibited both higher CO conversion and higher selectivity to higher alcohols.