{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20032"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20032","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide","abstract":"Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be converted to CH4 via selective methanation. A selective catalyst primarily methanates CO and inhibits the methanation of CO2 which results in the over consumption of H2. Common catalysts for SMET include Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/Y zeolites. This study involved the use of Ru/Y zeolite catalysts with loadings between 1 wt.%-5.4 wt.% Ru prepared via ion exchange, and a commercial 5 wt.% Ru/Al₂O3. These catalysts were tested in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures between 160°C and 210°C at various space velocities with a feed composition of 1% CO, 20% CO2, 10% H2O, 59% H2 and 10% Ar. The effects of loading, space velocity and reaction temperature on the CO conversion and CO selectivity were investigated. The 2.2 wt.% was found to be the optimum loading by displaying the highest selectivity of 72%, and 100% CO conversion at 170°C. The higher loadings produced large amounts of CH4 displaying lower selectivity, coupled with a high undesirable consumption of H2. The 1 wt.% Ru/Y zeolite showed low activity for SMET but was active for the WGS reaction. The 5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 displayed the highest selectivity of 60%, and 100% CO conversion at 180°C.","abstract_html":"Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be converted to CH4 via selective methanation. A selective catalyst primarily methanates CO and inhibits the methanation of CO2 which results in the over consumption of H2. Common catalysts for SMET include Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/Y zeolites. This study involved the use of Ru/Y zeolite catalysts with loadings between 1 wt.%-5.4 wt.% Ru prepared via ion exchange, and a commercial 5 wt.% Ru/Al₂O3. These catalysts were tested in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures between 160°C and 210°C at various space velocities with a feed composition of 1% CO, 20% CO2, 10% H2O, 59% H2 and 10% Ar. The effects of loading, space velocity and reaction temperature on the CO conversion and CO selectivity were investigated. The 2.2 wt.% was found to be the optimum loading by displaying the highest selectivity of 72%, and 100% CO conversion at 170°C. The higher loadings produced large amounts of CH4 displaying lower selectivity, coupled with a high undesirable consumption of H2. The 1 wt.% Ru/Y zeolite showed low activity for SMET but was active for the WGS reaction. The 5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 displayed the highest selectivity of 60%, and 100% CO conversion at 180°C.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ahmed, Zaheera"],"institution":"Department of Chemical Engineering","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Jack, Calvin","Fletcher, Quintin"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015","date_published":"2015","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:57Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20032","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Jack, Calvin","Fletcher, Quintin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ahmed, Zaheera"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-06-17T06:29:26Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-06-17T06:29:26Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2015"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Chemical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc (Eng)"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20032"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be converted to CH4 via selective methanation. A selective catalyst primarily methanates CO and inhibits the methanation of CO2 which results in the over consumption of H2. Common catalysts for SMET include Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/Y zeolites. This study involved the use of Ru/Y zeolite catalysts with loadings between 1 wt.%-5.4 wt.% Ru prepared via ion exchange, and a commercial 5 wt.% Ru/Al₂O3. These catalysts were tested in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures between 160°C and 210°C at various space velocities with a feed composition of 1% CO, 20% CO2, 10% H2O, 59% H2 and 10% Ar. The effects of loading, space velocity and reaction temperature on the CO conversion and CO selectivity were investigated. The 2.2 wt.% was found to be the optimum loading by displaying the highest selectivity of 72%, and 100% CO conversion at 170°C. The higher loadings produced large amounts of CH4 displaying lower selectivity, coupled with a high undesirable consumption of H2. The 1 wt.% Ru/Y zeolite showed low activity for SMET but was active for the WGS reaction. The 5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 displayed the highest selectivity of 60%, and 100% CO conversion at 180°C."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Jack, Calvin","Fletcher, Quintin"],"dc:creator":["Ahmed, Zaheera"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-06-17T06:29:26Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-06-17T06:29:26Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2015"],"dc:description.abstract":["Fuel processing is the conversion of hydrocarbons to produce a mixture of H2 and CO, whereby the H2 will be used in a PEMFC. CO needs to be removed as the tolerance level of the Pt based electro catalyst is only 10 ppm of CO. In order to lower the concentration from 1% post-WGS, to 10 ppm, CO can be converted to CH4 via selective methanation. A selective catalyst primarily methanates CO and inhibits the methanation of CO2 which results in the over consumption of H2. Common catalysts for SMET include Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/Y zeolites. This study involved the use of Ru/Y zeolite catalysts with loadings between 1 wt.%-5.4 wt.% Ru prepared via ion exchange, and a commercial 5 wt.% Ru/Al₂O3. These catalysts were tested in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures between 160°C and 210°C at various space velocities with a feed composition of 1% CO, 20% CO2, 10% H2O, 59% H2 and 10% Ar. The effects of loading, space velocity and reaction temperature on the CO conversion and CO selectivity were investigated. The 2.2 wt.% was found to be the optimum loading by displaying the highest selectivity of 72%, and 100% CO conversion at 170°C. The higher loadings produced large amounts of CH4 displaying lower selectivity, coupled with a high undesirable consumption of H2. The 1 wt.% Ru/Y zeolite showed low activity for SMET but was active for the WGS reaction. The 5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 displayed the highest selectivity of 60%, and 100% CO conversion at 180°C."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20032"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Chemical Engineering"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["The use of ruthenium Y zeolite catalysts for the selective methanation of carbon monoxide"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc (Eng)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:57Z"}