2529.     ---------------.  [OLMER, F.]  Decomposition of Carbon Monoxide by Ferromagnetic Metals.  Jour. Phys. Chem., vol. 46, 1942, pp. 405-414; Chem. Abs., vol. 36, 1942, p. 3092.

        Catalytic decomposition of CO at temperatures below 1,000° is limited to Fe, Ni, and Co, though there is no apparent relation between catalytic activity and magnetic properties.  The activity is due to the metals, and not to their compounds, since there is no decomposition outside of the range at which the metallic phase exists.  The activity curve for the pure metal passes through a maximum at 580°-590°, owing to agglomeration of the particles of the catalyst, thereby reducing their effective surface.  At higher temperatures the speed of reaction rises again and then drops toward zero as the temperature is approached at which CO is stable.  If the catalyst is mixed with an inert substance that will prevent agglomeration, there is no loss in activity beyond 590°.