AU MNOX CATALYTIC PERFORMANCE-CHARACTERISTICS FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE CARBON-MONOXIDE OXIDATION/

Manganese oxide-supported gold (Au/MnOx) catalysts have been prepared and tested for low-temperature (< 100 degrees) carbon monoxide oxidati on in stoichiometric mixtures of carbon monoxide and oxygen containing no carbon dioxide in the feed gas. Even with no pretreatment these ca talysts are superior to the best, pretreated platinized tin oxide (Pt/ SnOx) catalysts under the conditions tested. The very small decay obse rved for Au/MnOx catalysts is mostly due to carbon dioxide retention. The optimum gold content has been determined to be 10 at.-% of the man ganese content, and a lithium promotor results in improved catalytic b ehavior over K- or Na-promoted Au/MnOx catalysts for the conditions ex amined in this study.