DEVELOPMENT OF A PLATE-TYPE CATALYST FOR THE CHEMICAL HEAT-PUMP WITH REACTION COUPLE OF BENZENE HYDROGENATION CYCLOHEXANE DEHYDROGENATION - CATALYST PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF DEHYDROGENATION ACTIVITY

A porous alumina film was formed on the surface of an aluminum plate by anodic oxidation. The plate was then treated with a hot aqueous solution of chloroplatinic acid, thereby impregnating Pt on the alumina. Variations were made in the Pt impregnation conditions (such as Pt concentration, pH of the solution added, and ratio of the quantity of solution added to the surface area treated) in order to study the effects of these conditions on Pt concentration on the resultant catalyst. The catalytic activity during dehydrogenation of cyclohexane was measured. A catalyst was obtained with a Pt concentration of 1.89 g/m2 and a degree of dispersion of 0.42 which proved to be more active than three commercial Pt/alumina catalysts at 1 atm and 473 K when comparisons were made of reaction rate per unit volume of catalyst. This catalyst made possible the design of a compact endothermic reactor which also can serve as a heat exchanger. The catalyst is expected to exhibit high thermal conductivity and low pressure loss when installed in the reactor.