Mechanism Of Methanol Synthesis Research Articles

Adsorption Behavior of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide over Zinc Oxide in the Mixed Gas Adsorption and during the Methanol Decomposition Reaction

Abstract Adsorption of hydrogen and carbon monoxide at the different situations has been investigated with zinc oxide which is the principal component of ordinary methanol synthesis catalysts. In the simultaneous adsorption of hydrogen and carbon monoxide the mutual interaction was also observed. The results were explained as the displacement effect as well as the enhancement took place in a certain region of the partial pressures. Adsorption measurements during the decomposition reaction suggest that in initial state the adsorbed species are mostly the adsorbed methanol and that the step of the decomposition of it is the rate-determining step of the overall reaction. The mechanism of methanol synthesis over zinc oxide is suggested to proceed in the similar way as on the three component catalyst previously used.