Volume stages in the process of the ethylene glycol catalytic oxidation toglyoxal on silver

The volume stages of ethylene glycol oxidation to glyoxal on silver have be en studied by varying the catalyst grain size. Temperature oscillations hav e been detected in the catalyst layer. The nature of the oscillations and t he range of their generation were investigated by varying the oxygen, ethyl ene glycol and water vapor contents in the reaction mixture. Glyoxal format ion was shown to occur on the silver catalyst surface. The generation of os cillations is responsible for the CO to CO2 oxidation in the volume between the catalyst grains.