Screening of Catalysts for the Methyl Vinyl Ether Reaction in H₂

Calcium carbide and methanol are important platform chemicals, and the reaction between them can easily produce methyl vinyl ether (MVE). This paper aims to explore the downstream products of MVE through reaction with H2. Several catalysts with different active components and supports are screened in a fixed-bed reactor, and the product distributions at different reaction conditions are disclosed. At reaction temperatures of 200–300 °C, MVE is hydrogenated to methyl ethyl ether over PtO2/Al2O3 with a carbon yield of 59%, hydrolyzed to acetaldehyde over NiMoS/Al2O3 with a carbon yield of 31%, and hydrocracked to ethanol over CuO/Al2O3 and CuO/SiO2 with carbon yields of 13%–15%. At 400–450 °C, MVE is hydrodeoxygenated to C2–C4 hydrocarbons over PtO2/Al2O3 with a carbon yield of 95%. Methylbenzene, especially hexamethylbenzene, is formed over CuO/Al2O3 at 400–450 °C, and the reaction matrix was investigated at different VH2/VMVE ratios and space velocities and by the control experiments of acetaldehyde and methanol.