Catalysis and unconventional energy systems
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IT is difficult to o v e r e s t i m a t e
the p r e s e n t i m p o r t a n c e of c a t a l y s i s in c h e m i c a l technology. Catalytic p r o c e s s e s u t i l i z e d in the c h e m i c a l and p e t r o l e u m r e f i n ing i n d u s t r i e s account for well over 20 pct of the g r o s s n a t i o n a l product. Of the c h e m i c a l compounds which a r e produced at a r a t e of g r e a t e r than 109 lbs per y e a r , m o r e than 80 pct a r e produced by catalytic p r o c e s s e s , P r o d u c t i o n of s u l f u r i c acid (made by the contact p r o c e s s s i n c e the b e g i n n i n g of the century), the s y n t h e s i s of a m m o n i a , the oxidation of ethylene to f o r m ethylene oxide, and many other continuous c a t a lytic p r o c e s s e s a r e employed throughout the world. H y d r o d e s u l f u r i z a t i o n , c r a c k i n g h y d r o c r a c k i n g , and r e f o r m i n g a r e c a r r i e d out c a t a l y t i c a l l y on a v e r y l a r g e s c a l e in p e t r o l e u m r e f i n i n g . It is p r o b a b l e that in the new e n e r g y s y s t e m s now b e i n g planned or studied, c a t a l y s i s will play a l a r g e p a r t . A s u c c e s s f u l catalytic p r o c e s s r e q u i r e s e x t e n s i v e c o o p e r a t i o n b e t w e e n o r g a n i c , i n o r g a n i c , and s u r f a c e c h e m i s t s , as well as m e t a l l u r g i c a l , c e r a m i c and c h e m i cal e n g i n e e r s . T h i s m u l t i d i s c i p l i n a r y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of catalytic s c i e n c e and e n g i n e e r i n g is analogous to the a r e a of m a t e r i a l s s c i e n c e r e s e a r c h and e n g i n e e r i n g . Indeed, many a s p e c t s of catalytic s c i e n c e a r e enm e s h e d with m a t e r i a l s s e l e c t i o n and m a t e r i a l s s c i ence. The m a t e r i a l s r e q u i r e m e n t s for catalytic p r o c e s s e s a r e of two types. The f i r s t p e r t a i n s to the s e l e c t i o n of m a t e r i a l s for c h e m i c a l r e a c t o r s which will be i n c r e a s ingly often designed to o p e r a t e in new and hostile e n v i r o n m e n t s . The second is the set of s c i e n t i f i c a s p e c t s of the b e h a v i o r of m a t e r i a l s which b e a r on c a t a l y s t s and catalytic p r o c e s s i n g . T h i s p a p e r c o n s i d e r s c a t a l y s i s and u n c o n v e n t i o n a l e n e r g y s y s t e m s f r o m the s t a n d point only of the m a t e r i a l s s c i e n c e a s s o c i a t e d with the c a r r y i n g out of catalytic r e a c t i o n s . Since the l i t e r a t u r e on this s u b j e c t is v o l u m i n o u s , the t r e a t m e n t will be ind i c a t i v e r a t h e r than c o m p r e h e n s i v e . The p a p e r is divided into t h r e e p a r t s : d e s c r i p t i o n of h e t e r o g e n e o u s c a t a l y s i s ; catalytic r e a c t i o n s in new e n e r g y s y s t e m s with t h e i r a s s o c i a t e d m a t e r i a l s needs; R. A. STREHLOWis ResearchStaffMembe
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