A New Catalyst Support Made of Bauxite: Preparation and Catalytic Properties

Abstract

Abstract Bauxite with a large surface area was successfully prepared from natural bauxite using a hydrothermal process. Both 0.5% Pd/bauxite and 0.5% Pd/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared using an incipient-wetness impregnation method for CO oxidation reaction. The characteristics of the samples were determined by X-ray fluorescence, low temperature N2 physical adsorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, H2 temperature-programmed reduction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The average pore diameter, BET surface area and pore volume of the bauxite support at the optimum hydrothermal conditions of temperature (170○) and time (72 h) were found to be approximately 4.82 nm, 153 m2 g –1 and 0.23 cm3 g –1, respectively. The activity of the 0.5% Pd/bauxite catalyst was much higher than that of the 0.5% Pd/Al2O3 catalyst, it's due to that Fe2O3 itself contained in bauxite was a good catalyst for CO oxidation and can interact with Pd in the catalyst.