• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.566-572
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• 2007

Two hybrid catalysts for the direct synthesis of DME were prepared and the catalytic activity of these catalysts were investigated. The hybrid catalyst for the direct synthesis of DME was composed as the catalytic active components of methanol synthesis and dehydration. The methanol synthesis catalyst was formed from the precursor contained Cu and Zn, the methanol dehydration catalyst was used ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$. As PM-CZ+D and CP-CZA/D, Two hybrid catalysts were prepared by physical mixing method (PM-CZ+D) and precipitation method (CP-CZA/D), respectively. PM-CZ+D was prepared by physically mixing methanol synthesis catalyst and methanol dehydration catalyst, CP-CZA/D was prepared by depositing Cu-Zn or Cu-Zn-Al components on ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$. The crystallinity and the surface morphology of synthesized catalyst were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to investigate the physical property of prepared catalyst. And BET surface area by $N_2$ adsorption and the surface area of Cu by $N_2O$ chemisorption were investigated about the hybrid catalysts. In addition, catalytic activity of these hybrid catalysts was examined with varying reaction conditions. At that time, the reaction temperature of $250{\sim}290^{\circ}C$, the reaction pressure of 50~70 atm, the $[H_2]/[CO]$ mole ratio of 0.5~2.0 and the space velocity of $1,500{\sim}6,000h^{-1}$ were investigated the catalytic activity. From these results, it was confirmed that the reactivity of CP-CZA/D was higher than that of PM-CZ+D. When the conditions of reaction temperature, pressure, $[H_2]/[CO]$ ratio and space velocity were $260^{\circ}C$, 50 atm and 1.0, $3,000h^{-1}$ respectively, CO conversion using CP-CZA/D hybrid catalyst was 72% and the CO conversion of CP-CZA/D was more than 20% compared with the CO conversion of PM-CZ+D. It was known that Cu surface area of CP-CZA/D hybrid catalyst was higher than that of hybrid PM-CZ+D catalyst using $N_2O$ chemisorption. It was assumed that the catalytic activity was improved because Cu particle of hybrid catalyst prepared by precipitation method was well dispersed.