Independent effect of particle size and reduction extent on CO hydrogenation over alumina-supported cobalt catalyst

Abstract

The catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide on cobalt catalysts has been known to be affected by two factors: the cobalt loading (or the size of cobalt particle) and the extent of reduction. Independent investigations of the effects of the two factors on CO hydrogenation, however, were rarely attempted because the changes in the cobalt loadings in supported cobalt catalysts were accompanied inevitably by changes in the extent of reduction, i.e., higher extent of reduction for higher cobalt loading. In the study, CO hydrogenation was preformed on partially reduced alumina-supported cobalt catalysts having different cobalt loadings (or particle sizes) with different extents of reduction, and experiments were carried out to delineate their independent effects on CO hydrogenation.