A NEW QUANTITATIVE INTERPRETATION OF TPD SPECTRA OF A HETEROGENEOUS SURFACE-BASED ON THE STATISTICAL-THEORY OF THE RATE OF INTERFACIAL TRANSPORT

It is shown that the application of the theory of Activated Adsorption -Desorption leads to some fundamental difficulties in the theoretical interpretation of TPD spectra from an energetically heterogeneous soli d surface. This has not been realized sufficiently in the theoretical works published solar. A new theoretical method is proposed in this pa per for a quantitative analysis of surface energetic heterogeneity fro m TPD spectra. The model is based on the Statistical Theory of the Rat e of Interfacial Transport developed by Ward and Findlay, and is illus trated by a quantitative analysis of hydrogen desorption spectrum from an alumina supported nickel catalyst.