Alkali-catalyzed carbon gasification. I. Nature of the catalytic sites

Abstract

Active potassium gasification catalysts are highly dispersed on the carbon substrate. It is believed that K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ reacts with the carbonaceous material to form groups at the edges of the carbon microlayers. These are the sites of the dominant gasification chemistry on amorphous carbons. This self-dispersion explains the reproducibility seen in this system. The relative catalytic activities of other alkali salts can also be rationalized by their propensity to react with the carbon surface.