PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY WATER-GAS SHIFT REACTION ON Ru/C CATALYST

Abstract

This work explores the catalytic performance of a 2% ruthenium carbon (Ru/C) catalyst in the low temperature water-gas shift reaction (WGSR). The catalyst synthetized was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and specific surface area (BET) methods. The gas mixture of 15% carbon monoxide + argon and water were used as reagents. The operations catalytic were performed in a fixed bed reactor over a temperature range of 453–553 K. A numerical fitting algorithm was developed for the estimation of the kinetic parameters in a power-law model for the rate velocity. At 553K, 80% CO conversion was achieved, under steady state. For the empirical rate equation, the activation energy determined from the experimental data, was 190 kJ/mol.