Characterisation of Oxidation Catalysts—Reaction of Propan.2-ol on a Zn : Cr : Fe Catalyst

Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras-600 036

Manuscript received 24 April 1978, revised 30 September 1978, accepted 24 April 1979

The vapour phase catalytic reactions of propan-2-ol have been investigated on a Zn : Cr : Fe catalyst system in a flow reactor. Both normal dehydrogenation and oxidative dehydrogenation of propan-2-ol take place. The reaction products have been identified and the catalyst activity is found to be decrersing with time of use for both types of reactions.
Addition of oxygen has a beneficial effect on the dehydrogenation activity of the catalyst, but at high partial pressures causes drastic oxidation of the target product first and subsequently the reactant itself. In addition to the surface reaction it is observed that there is also a homogeneous, gas phase reaction giving rise to the same product acetone.
The results support the view that in the mild oxidation, the oxidising species is the oxide ion for the surface reaction and molecular oxygen for the reaction taking place homogeneously in the gas phase.