Activity Test of CuO/γ-Al2O3 as Catalyst of Methanol Dehydration to Dimethyl Ether at Atmospheric Pressure. Issue 1 (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Susanto, Edi; Ardy, Aisyah; Susanto, Herri
• Is Part Of: IOP conference series. Volume 1143:Issue 1(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Materials science -- Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/1143/1/012072
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-8981

Abstract

Abstract: Dimethyl ether (DME) is already used as a propellant and intermediate chemicals. Now, Indonesia will use DME as alternative energy for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), as a result of the continued increase in LPG imports. In this study, DME was synthesized by dehydration of methanol process. The y-Al2 O3 and modified CuO/y-Al2 O3 ITB use as catalysts for the process. The objective of this research was to compare of catalytic activity of two catalysts at methanol dehydration to DME. The catalyst activity test was carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor (ID 1 cm and length 21 cm). Methanol dehydration was carried out at 1 bar, GHSV 1, 100-2, 200/h, methanol 1.9-4 mL/h, N2 10-30 mL/min (27.5°C and 0.93 bar). The downstream gas of the reactor was analyzed using gas chromatography and the condensate was analyzed using a refractometer. The y-Al2 O3 -ITB catalyst gives the highest performance with 89.6% of methanol conversion, 6.6% of DME yield, and 16.6% of DME selectivity. Whereas CuO/y-Al2 O3 catalyst has a lower performance by 85.5% of methanol conversion, 1.4% of DME yield, and 3.7% of DME selectivity.