GB311737A - Manufacture of hydrogen - Google Patents

Abstract

311,737. Lazote, Inc., (Assignees of Larson, A. T.). May 15, 1928, [Convention date]. Hydrogen, catalytic production of; catalytic agents, preparation of.-In the production of hydrogen from mixtures of carbon monoxide and steam a catalyst is employed containing copper in free or chemically combined state and an oxide of zinc, tungsten, molybdenum, cerium, vanadium, manganese, uranium, chromium and magnesium, which oxide mav be in combination with one or more other elements. The ratio of steam to carbon monoxide is preferably at least 1.5 : 1 and the gas mixture may first be purified to remove sulphur and other catalyst poisons. The temperature used is 300-600‹ C. and the pressure employed may be atmospheric, but is preferably 10-100 atmospheres. A commercial gas containing at least 20 per cent of carbon monoxide by volume may be employed and may be obtained by oxidation of carbonaceous fuel or as a byeproduct in the production of metals or metallic carbides from metallic oxides and coke. The catalyst may be prepared by triturating, fusing or precipitating a mixture of copper oxide with the other oxides, or by igniting a mixture of the metal salts or by preparing chemical compounds of copper with one or more of the oxides. The catalyst before use is preferably treated with hydrogen at 100-300‹ C. to reduce the copper or the reduction may be effected in situ by the reaction mixture of steam and carbon monoxide. The catalyst may be formed into tablets or granules. In examples, copper oxide mixed with 5 per cent of chromium oxide or with 15 per cent of zinc oxide is melted, cooled and crushed; to an equi-molecular mixture of copper and magnesium nitrates in dilute solution a dilute solution of ammonia is added and the precipitate washed, dried and formed into pellets; to a dilute solution containing equal molecular proportions of copper, manganese anl chromium nitrates dilute ammonia solution is added and the precipitate washed, dried at about 100‹ C. and broken into fragments of suitable size; to a dilute solution containing one molecular proportion of copper sulphate and two molecular proportions of manganese sulphate a solution containing three molecular proportions of ammonium chromate is added and the precipitation completed by adding ammonia, the precipitate being washed, dried at about 100‹ C. and crushed to suitable size.