Thermodesorption studies of energetic properties of Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalysts. Determination of adsorption energy distribution functions.

The thermodesorption spectra of hydrogen from coprecipitated catalysts (70-x)NiO-xMgO-30Al(2)O(3) (x = 0-50%(wt)) are reported. The catalysts were calcined at 400 degrees C and reduced with H(2) at 20-800 degrees C and for 3 h at 800 degrees C. NiO reduction degree was between 49.3 and 92.1%. The active surface areas changed from 8.4 to 32.4 m(2)/g whereas mean size of nickel crystallites was between 3.7 and 9.7 nm. The TPD spectra were next analyzed in order to determine the adsorption energy distributions functions. To obtain these functions a theoretical model of adsorption/desorption kinetics based on the statistical rate theory (SRT) was applied. This approach allows for determination of the adsorption energy at nonequilibrium conditions as well as at quasiequilibrium conditions. The resulting distribution functions reveal the presence of two main bands of adsorption energy. Some correlation is found between the determined distributions of adsorption energy and the size of nickel crystallites determined using the XRD method. The presence of MgO favors creation of high energy adsorption sites on Ni crystallites.