Preparation of Co-Mo catalyst using activated carbon produced from egg shell and SiO2 as support – A hydrogenation study

Abstract

The preparation of a series of cobalt-molybdenum (Co-Mo) catalysts supported on SiO2 and carbonized egg shells were investigated using standard procedures; the catalysts were further calcined at the 500 oC temperature to generate the internally consistent set, and the metal atoms content were varied in a regular manner. The ratio 1:4 (Co2+: Mo6+) by weight was employed for the various catalysts prepared. The carbonized egg shells were divided into two parts: the first part was leached with HNO3, as the other one was not leached. Activity tests were run using these catalysts containing leached and unleached carbon for the hydrogenation of methyl orange; the changes in absorbance regarding the unhydrogenated methyl orange at a wavelength of 460 nm were respectively 0.07 and 0.067 when the catalyst containing the leached carbonized egg shell (catalyst A) and the catalyst containing the unleached activated carbon (catalyst B) were used for the hydrogenation reaction. This confirms that catalyst A is more efficient in hydrogenating methyl orange than catalyst B.