Continuous Hydrogenation of Ethyl Levulinate to γ-Valerolactone over Cu-Zn/ZrO2 Catalyst with Alumina Binder

Cu-Zn/ZrO2 catalyst with an alumina binder was built for catalytic hydrogenation of ethyl levulinate to gamma-valerolactone. N-2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, NH3 temperature-programmed desorption, H-2 temperature-programmed reduction, and N2O decomposition were used to characterize the catalysts. The obtained results exhibited that porosity and acidity of the catalysts were strongly influenced by the binder; the most outstanding catalytic performance (96.4% ethyl levulinate conversion and 94.0% selectivity for gamma-valerolactone) was observed on the catalyst with 20 wt % alumina binder for 30 h of time on stream. The good activity of this catalyst was due to its relatively good Cu species dispersion and proper acidity.