In situ photoacoustic study of water gas shift reaction over magnetite/chromium oxide and copper/zinc oxide catalysts

Kinetic studies on the water-gas shift reaction catalyzed by magnetite/chromium oxide and copper/zinc oxide were carried out by using an in situ photoacoustic spectroscopic technique. The reactions were performed in a closed-circulation reactor system using a differential photoacoustic cell at total pressure of 40 Torr in the temperature range of 100 to 350 .deg. C. The CO2 photoacoustic signal varying with the concentration of CO2 during the catalytic reaction was recorded as a function of time. The time-resolved photoacoustic spectra obtained for the initial reaction stage provided precise data of CO2 formation rate. The apparent activation energies determined from the initial rates were 74.7 kJ/mol for the magnetite/chromium oxide catalyst and 50.9 kJ/mol for the copper/zinc oxide catalyst. To determine the reaction orders, partial pressures of CO(g) and H2O(g) in the reaction mixture were varied at a constant total pressure of 40 Torr with N2 buffer gas. For the magnetite/chromium oxide catalyst, the reaction orders with respect to CO and H2O were determined to be 0.93 and 0.18, respectively. For the copper/zinc oxide catalyst, the reaction orders with respect to CO and H2O were determined to be 0.79 and 0, respectively