Chapter 8 - Some Catalytic Reactions

Abstract

This chapter aims to cover some of the applications of catalysis in practice that have received a lot of attention over the last few decades. It describes briefly a variety of aspects of some important catalytic processes currently encountered in practice. Catalysis plays a pivotal role in almost all industrial processes. Indeed, it has been estimated that more than 80% of all commercial products, or some element of them, have been produced by catalysis. The study focusses on the applications of catalysis in the production of energy carriers and bulk chemicals and then briefly discusses the importance of the subject in fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals before ending with discussions of the applications of catalysis in environmental control and biomass conversion. It shows schematically the importance of catalysis in the conversion of the natural resources, coal, oil, and gas, to some useful products. Moreover, it mentions a currently important topic: biomass conversion. This has received a great deal of attention over the last few years as it is generally recognized that, with depleting oil reserves, the world has to seek other sources of, in particular, energy.