Effect of the order of potassium introduction on the texture and activity of Mo/Al2O3 catalysts in water gas shift reaction Original Research Article

The effect of deposition and order of potassium introduction on the texture and activity of Mo/γ-Al2O3 catalysts in water gas shift (WGS) reaction was investigated. The samples were synthesised by incipient wetness impregnation of the carrier with aqueous solutions of the corresponding salts followed by drying and calcination after each deposition step. The prepared catalyst precursors were sulphided at 400°C for 2 h with 6% H2S in H2 before testing in WGS reaction in a glass flow apparatus at 400°C under atmospheric pressure. The results show that potassium deposition alone on the bare γ-Al2O3 (sample K/Al2O3) decreases the specific surface after calcination by blocking the constrictions between the pores in the primary porous texture. In the WGS reaction conditions part of the pores are deblocked and a redistribution in the pore volumes occurs. The deposition of the Mo (sample Mo/Al2O3) also results in a decrease in both specific surface and total pore volume with respect to the bare support. However after catalytic activity test no substantial changes in its texture were observed. The addition of K to the Mo (sample KMo/Al2O3) leads to nonuniformity in distribution of molybdenum–oxygen entities due to partial migration of the MoOx species to the external surface. The specific surface is not changed during the reaction test. The deposition of Mo on K/Al2O3 contributes to the uniform distribution of oxomolybdenum species in the porous texture of the support. This uniformity is preserved to a high extent in the catalytic reaction as well. The activity in the synthesised samples in the WGS reaction decreases in the order MoK/Al2O3 > Mo/Al2O3 > KMo/Al2O3.