Investigation of the effect of total pressure on performance of the catalytic water-gas shift reaction using simulated coal-derived syngases

The effect of operating pressure on the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction rate over an iron-based high-temperature catalyst, and a Co-Mo based sour-shift catalyst, was investigated using simulated coal-derived syngas at 450 degrees C. For both catalysts, it was found that the CO conversion rate depends linearly upon total operating pressure. The apparent reaction orders used in a power-law rate expression, where the reaction orders were derived from experimental results at atmospheric pressure, are valid at elevated pressures up to at least 11 bar. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.