Deactivation of Cu/ZrO₂ catalyst for methanol synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation

The physical structure, microstructure and carbonaceous deposition of Cu/ZrO₂ catalysts for methanol synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation were characterized by nitrogen sorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) techniques. The results showed that the sintering of active components is the major factor for catalyst deactivation and the carbonaceous deposition is in the next place; the surface area has little effect on catalyst activation.