AN INVESTIGATION OF DISPERSION AND CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF SUPPORTED RHENIUM

The state of dispersion and catalytic properties of supported rhenium have been investigated using a rhenium-silica catalyst containing 10% rhenium. The chemisorption of hydrogen or carbon monoxide at room temperature is satisfactory for determining the rhenium surface area, as judged by the good agreement on crystallite size between these measurements and an X-ray line-broadening determination. The catalytic properties of rhenium for ethane hydrogenolysis were investigated for comparison with our earlier studies on the noble metals of Group VIII of the periodic table. Some significant differences from the Group VIII noble metals were observed in the kinetics, particularly with regard to the dependence of the reaction rate on hydrogen pressure. When the activity of rhenium is considered together with the activities of the Group VIII noble metals of the same period, a pattern of variation of catalytic activity is observed which is similar to the variation in percent d character of the metallic bond. © 1969.