Study of the Regeneration of a (CuO/-Al2O3) Catalysts Coking On the Acetaldehyde Reaction

This paper presents the study of the regeneration of a cooper oxide catalyst over gamma -alumina coked in the acetaldehyde formation, as a final part of a several work in the impregnation profiles studies. The catalyst was prepared by means of impregnation of a gamma alumina spheres with a sulfate copper solution and it was used in the partial oxidation of ethanol, in a packed bed reactor. The type of impregnation profile obtained was uniform. During this reaction, the catalyst presents deactivation by coked deposition. The regeneration of the coked catalyst was performed at 450 C and 600 C in periods of 1 and 2 hours. The fresh catalysts, coked and regenerated catalysts, were characterized by X-rays Diffraction (XRD), Infra-red Spectroscopy (IR), thermo gravimetric analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The products of reaction were measure by gas chromatography. Obtained results showed that the best conditions to reactivate the catalyst were 600 C for 2 hours.