Carbon-based ruthenium catalyst for NH3 synthesis. Effect of carbon treatment

The effect of the complex carbon treatment (in sequence: preliminary high t emperature heating in an inert atmosphere, partial gasification in CO2 and final heating) on its texture and the activity of the resultant Ba-promoted ruthenium catalysts in NH3 synthesis was studied. Both the preliminary and final heating steps lead mainly to the disappearance of small pores, the e ffect of the latter step being smaller. In contrast, the gasification (34.0 %) in CO2 develops the pore structure of the support. The Ba-Ru/C catalysts proved to be very active and stable in NH3 synthesis (p = 63 bar, T = 400 degrees C, X-NH3 = 8%), especially those supported on the carbons of well d eveloped texture.