SURFACE CHEMISTRY AND CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF BORON PHOSPHATE: 1. SURFACE AREA AND ACIDITY

Abstract

Surface properties of the dehydration catalyst, boron phosphate (BP), prepared by the reaction of triethyl borate and phosphoric acid, were investigated by the use of a microbalance system. During evacuation at elevated temperatures, weight changes of the BP were obtained. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms were measured after each treatment. Surface areas appear to increase, and reach a maximum in the range 200–300 °C. Weight changes are initially large but begin to level off as the temperature is increased. Ammonia isotherms were obtained at 25.00 °C on aliquots of the same BP sample after various pretreatments. Amounts of ammonia remaining adsorbed after evacuation overnight were taken as the quantity chemisorbed. An approximate value of 8.9 kcal/mole of ammonia was obtained for the heat of chemisorption of ammonia by measuring the pressure and weight change as the amount of chemisorbed ammonia is decreased on heating the BP to various temperatures in a closed system. Results are interpreted in terms of change of number of active sites with surface area and the deactivation of sites on loss of water.