Preparation of highly-active CO2 methanation catalysts and investigation of their practical use

Temperature of CO2 methanation reaction (CO2 + 4H2 -> CH4 + 2H2O) can be decreased using a catalyst (TiO2-supported Ru: Ru/TiO2) prepared by the polygonal barrel-sputtering method. This finding is useful to solve global warming. In this study, effects of the deposited metals and the supports on the CO2 methanation reaction were investigated. The density functional theory indicated that the energy barriers of the reaction steps such as CO + H -> CHO and CH3 + H -> CH4 decreased by the deposition of the smaller Ru particles, resulting in the low temperature of the CO2 methanation reaction. Furthermore, we remodeled the polygonal barrel-sputtering system, allowing the increase in the catalyst yield. It should be noted that even though the Ru/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by a large scale polygonal barrel-sputtering unit, the physical and catalytic properties of the prepared catalysts were similar to those prepared by the laboratory scale unit.