Chemical Properties of Nickel Catalyst
Chemical Nature of Nickel Catalyst:
- Made up of a Transition Metal (Ni)
- Thermally and Structurally Stable
o Nickel catalyst does not decompose at high temperatures
o This allows it to be used under a wide range of reaction conditions
- It has a large Brunauer-Emett-Teller (BET) surface area
o This means that it has a high adsoption surface
All of these properties contribute to relatively high catalytic activity.
Heterogenous vs. Homogeneous
There are two kinds of catalysts: Heterogeneous and Homogeneous
Heterogeneous Reaction: the catalyst is in a different phase from the reactants.
Homogeneous Reaction: the catalyst is in the same phase as the reactants.
What is a phase?
A phase is having a uniform state of matter. Different phases can be identified by having a boundary between two components of the mixture.
- In a heterogeneous mixture, (ex. containing a solid and a liquid), there are two phases
- In a homogenous mixture, (ex. containing a liquid and a liquid), there is one phase because you cannot see a distinct boundary between the different substances in the mixture
Nickel Catalyst is a Heterogeneous Catalyst. It is in a different phase from the reactants.
For instance, in the reaction of hydrogenation of vegetable oil, nickel catalyst is in the solid state of matter, while vegetable oil is in the liquid state of matter.
Chemical Nature of Nickel Catalyst:
- Made up of a Transition Metal (Ni)
- Thermally and Structurally Stable
o Nickel catalyst does not decompose at high temperatures
o This allows it to be used under a wide range of reaction conditions
- It has a large Brunauer-Emett-Teller (BET) surface area
o This means that it has a high adsoption surface
All of these properties contribute to relatively high catalytic activity.
Heterogenous vs. Homogeneous
There are two kinds of catalysts: Heterogeneous and Homogeneous
Heterogeneous Reaction: the catalyst is in a different phase from the reactants.
Homogeneous Reaction: the catalyst is in the same phase as the reactants.
What is a phase?
A phase is having a uniform state of matter. Different phases can be identified by having a boundary between two components of the mixture.
- In a heterogeneous mixture, (ex. containing a solid and a liquid), there are two phases
- In a homogenous mixture, (ex. containing a liquid and a liquid), there is one phase because you cannot see a distinct boundary between the different substances in the mixture
Nickel Catalyst is a Heterogeneous Catalyst. It is in a different phase from the reactants.
For instance, in the reaction of hydrogenation of vegetable oil, nickel catalyst is in the solid state of matter, while vegetable oil is in the liquid state of matter.