A kinetic study of methanol decomposition catalyzed over plate-type palladium catalyst

A kinetic study of the catalytic methanol decomposition to carbon monoxide and hydrogen has been carried out in the pressure range of methanol up to 8 atm at 200 and 250 degrees C over a palladium catalyst supported on an oxi dized aluminum plate. The reaction pathway can be proposed as (i) dissociat ive adsorption of methanol to methoxyl groups and hydrogen adsorbed on pall adium sites, (ii) decomposition of the methoxyl groups to carbon monoxide a nd hydrogen adsorbed, and (iii) desorption of the surface carbon monoxide a nd hydrogen species. It is suggested that the second step is rate-determini ng and the surface hydrogen species enhance the decomposition of the methox yl groups.