1193.    ---------------.  [GHOSH, J. C., SASTRI, M. V. C., AND KINI, K. A.] Mixed Adsorption of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide on Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts.  Research, vol. 3, 1950, p. 584.

        Previously (see abs. 1192) it was found that on a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst (A) containing 34% Co, 4% Cu, 2.33% ThO₂, 0.24% Ce₂O₃ and the rest kieselguhr, the adsorption of H₂ from 1 CO:1 H₂ and 1 CO:2 H₂ mixtures, at temperatures 25°-97° and mixed pressures below 76 cm. was greater than from pure gas at equivalent pressures.  At the same time, there was a suppression of CO adsorption from the mixtures.  The addition of 4% Cr₂O₃ to (A) (see abs. 1182) caused marked improvement in the yield of gasoline and facilitated the use of water gas (1 CO:1 H₂) without the usual enrichment of H₂.  It also increased the adsorption of pure CO at all the temperatures studied (25°-97°) but suppressed that of pure H₂ up to 76° and increased it at higher temperatures.  The adsorption of CO at higher partial pressures was found to be greater from the 1 CO:2 H₂ than from the 1:1 mixture, while the reverse was true of H₂ adsorption.  That is, adsorption of either gas was greater from that mixture in which its concentration was lower.  On both catalysts it was observed that the adsorption of each constituent began to increase at much lower temperatures in presence of the other gas than in its absence.  These facts point to the possibility of progressive formation of a CO-H complex on the surface of the catalyst.  If the simultaneous adsorptions of the constituent gases were plotted against each other the “isotherms” so obtained tended to become linear at the higher temperatures, and for every 2 cc. increase in CO adsorption that of H₂ increased by nearly 1 cc.  This again supports CO-H complex formation.  It therefore appears that the chemisorbed CO-H complex, rather than the Co carbide, may be the intermediate in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by catalyst (B) Cr₂O₃+(A).