Adsorption and solid catalysed reaction between activated carbon impregnated with SnO2 and CO at ordinary temperature

We have used pressure swing adsorption (PSA) measurements to study the reaction of CO adsorbed from H2/CO (75/25 vol.%) onto an activated carbon–tin(IV) oxide (AC–SnO2) catalyst to form gaseous CO2. Unimpregnated pure activated carbon was used for comparison. Our data fit well to Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics with a rate constant of 0.022 s−1 and an equilibrium constant of 1.04, indicating first-order kinetics. We conclude that chemisorption takes place preferentially on the adsorbed O− sites produced during the thermal pre-treatment of the catalyst.