Catalytic Activity of Tantalum Carbide for Hydrogenation of Benzene

Abstract

Catalytic activity and surface area of powdered tantalum monocarbide(TaC) evacuated under high vacuum (∼10-5 mmHg), were investigated as a function of the evacuating temperatures between 400 and 1100°C. It was found out that the conversion activity for hydrogenation of benzene was negligibly small at the lower evacuation temperature than 900°C; the sample was, however, abruptly activated when it had been evacuated at above 1000°C, and that the surface areas measured by BET method using krypton, were nearly constant (1.5 m2/g) regardless of the evacuating temperatures. These results suggested that the activation created catalytically active sites on the surface.