Elsevier

Journal of Catalysis

Volume 103, Issue 1, January 1987, Pages 79-86
Journal of Catalysis

The measurement of copper surface areas by reactive frontal chromatography

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Abstract

A technique, termed here “reactive frontal Chromatography,” which permits the evaluation of copper areas in oxide-supported copper catalysts in general is described. The aspect which relates to normal frontal Chromatography is that of the flow switching technique, flows being changed from helium to a helium/nitrous oxide mixture. In this case, however, instead of simply observing the N2O uptake as in normal frontal Chromatography, the N2O decomposes upon adsorption yielding N2 in the gas phase, the oxygen being chemisorbed on the surface: this is the reactive aspect. Therefore before the N2O breakthrough occurs, N2 is evolved in an amount equivalent to the number of oxygen atoms chemisorbed on the copper surface. The technique has been calibrated against a sample of unsupported copper whose area is determined in the same apparatus by the BET method.

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The technique described in this paper is the subject of ICI UK Patent Application 8512684 and enquiries regarding licenses to use this technique should be addressed to G. C. Chinchen.

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