The effect of potassium on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst in relation to CO/H2 reaction

The effect of potassium on nickel/alumina catalysts in relation to CO/H2 reaction was studied. The examinations were performed on the samples containing 90 wt.% of nickel and up to 6.0 mol% of potassium. XRD studies and adsorption measurements (H2, O2 and CO) showed a small effect of potassium on nickel dispersion; at the same time potassium enhanced heat of CO adsorption, which implies that the promoter locates on Ni surface. Temperature-programmed (TP) studies showed that potassium significantly retards the hydrogenation of pre-adsorbed CO and these results were confirmed by steady state tests of CO/H2 reaction. TP desorption of pre-adsorbed CO provided ambiguous view on the effect of potassium on CO dissociation. Instead, it was revealed that potassium strongly retards hydrogenation of carbon species adsorbed on nickel, which shed a new light on the effect of potassium on CO/H2 reaction.

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► Potassium does not affect dispersion of nickel supported on alumina.
► Potassium hardly promotes CO dissociation on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.
► Potassium strongly retards reduction of carbon preadsorbed on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.