THE ADSORPTION OF HYDROGEN ON RUTHENIUM–ALUMINA

Abstract

The rate of adsorption of hydrogen on Ru–Al₂O₃ has been studied at four temperatures from 100 to 257 °C at pressures from 15 to 80 cm DBP. The Elovich parameters α and a for these data have been calculated and their temperature and pressure dependencies found. It is shown that, regardless of temperature, the amount adsorbed at a given time and the parameters α and log aα show a dependence on the initial pressure which is different above and below 25 cm DBP indicating different types of adsorption. The temperature dependencies yield an energy of activation for the initial rate of the high pressure chemisorption of 17.7 kcal mole⁻¹ which is independent of the pressure. Similar E values below 25 cm increase with a decrease in pressure. Four runs showed a very slow nitrogen adsorption on the same surface, raising the question of an enhancement of the adsorption of one gas by traces of another.