Comparative Study Based on Activation Procedure Using Air and Nitrogen Gas to Synthesis Nanoparticles Cu/Al2O3 Catalyst

Cu nanoparticles on Al2O3 catalyst were prepared via impregnation method and two different activation conditions were examined. The morphology of the catalyst has been characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM); while, the crystallography was determined by using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The thermal stability of the catalyst was analysed by using thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). Overall, from the XRD pattern, it was revealed that the nanoparticles Cu catalyst produced in air and nitrogen conditions is CuO and Cu active phase. At 400°C under air condition, the crystal size of CuO produced are in between 23.57 and 23.61 nm, while in nitrogen condition the crystal size was 30.24 to 30.31 nm. These results indicate that the size of the Cu nanoparticles catalyst produced under nitrogen flow was slightly bigger compared to air conditions. The results were further confirmed using SEM image in which catalyst activation under nitrogen flow has produced abundance microcrystal structure than under air condition. Meanwhile, the thermal stability of the nano-Cu catalyst shows that the both activation procedure was a single stage of thermal degradation at 260°C.