FORMALDEHYDE OXIDATION ON NICKEL OXIDE.

Aldehyde pollution will become an increasing problem as the nation switches to alcohol-blended fuels. Catalytic oxidation is an attractive way to reduce aldehyde emissions, but there are no data available on the oxidation process. In the work reported here, the rate of formaldehyde oxidation on a nickel oxide catalyst is studied at 493 K and pressures of about 1 atm. It is found that nickel oxide is quite effective in catalyzing the oxidation of formaldehyde to carbon dioxide and water. The oxidation rate shows a complicated dependence on the feed composition. The rate is enhanced by adding the product CO//2 to the feed. Rate multiplicity is observed at oxygen partial pressures between 0. 03 and 0. 09 bar. The data have been fit by a complicated rate equation with six constants which was derived from a previously proposed mechanism for CO oxidation on nickel oxide.