KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF MOLYBDENUM(VI) OXIDE REDUCTION

Kinetics of the reduction of MoO3 under hydrogen, propene, butene-1, and CO has been studied. It has been found that MoO3 morphology and the addition of MoO2 and metallic platinum affect the rate of reduction under hydrogen. The experimental findings confirm the validity of the CAR model proposed earlier, according to which the reduction of MoO3 to MoO2 is a consecutive reaction and Mo4O11 is the intermediate product. The dissociative adsorption of the reductant yielding atomic hydrogen is the rate-determining step. The process is autocatalytically accelerated by the reaction product, MoO2. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.