Adsorption Properties of Supported Cobalt Catalysts Studied via Microcalorimetry

Abstract

Adsorption properties of alumina (γ-Al2O3) supported catalysts used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were studied using microcalorimetry for hydrogen or carbon monoxide chemisorption at 40ºC. The three catalysts investigated had a loading of 20 wt% cobalt and 0,5 wt% of rhenium and were prepared by one step incipient wetness co-impregnation of γ-Al2O3 support. The difference between them is that one was standard, and the other two had an addition of 1 wt% and 2 wt% of sodium respectively. The effect of sodium was found to be poisonous for the catalyst, adsorbing less quantity of hydrogen/carbon monoxide the higher content of sodium it had. Also, it could be proved that the performance of the catalyst for carbon monoxide and hydrogen was very similar in terms of dispersion, but was different in terms of heat emission when the adsorption occurred.