STEADY-STATE AND TRANSIENT KINETIC-STUDIES OF ETHANE HYDROGENOLYSIS OVER RU/AL2O3

Kinetic studies of ethane hydrogenolysis over supported ruthenium catalysts have been carried out under both steady-state and transient conditions. A wide range of steady-state models has been examined. Although great discrimination among the models cannot be obtained, the modified model proposed in this work successfully predicts the observed rate behavior. Elementary step models have been developed. Comparison of the prediction of the models with the outcome of step change experiments leads to estimates of the rate constant for individual reaction steps. It has been shown that the rupture of the CC bond in the surface C2Hx species is likely to be the rate-limiting step under the conditions investigated. The results of model fitting at three temperatures for Ru/Al2O3 allow the activation energies of the proposed elementary steps to be determined. Ethane adsorption, accompanied by CH bond breakage, has been shown to bean endothermic process. © 1992.