Measurement of diffuse refl ection from catalyst powders using the Praying Mantis accessory and Agilent Cary 5000 UV - Vis - NIR spectrophotometer Application note

Aluminium oxide (Al2O3), commonly known as alumina, is a widespread naturally occurring compound that has a broad range of industrial applications. Besides its use as a pigment or abrasive, alumina also plays a vital role as catalyst support for desulfurization or hydrogenation reactions. In the latter case, the active phase on the catalyst often consists of nickel metal nanoparticles. The interactions initially established between nickel (II) salt and the alumina surface during the fi rst steps of the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst preparation ultimately determine the active phase dispersion and the activity of the catalyst. It is thus of prime importance to follow the evolution of nickel speciation upon thermal treatments in order to improve the catalyst preparation. Measurement of diffuse refl ection from catalyst powders using the Praying Mantis accessory and Agilent Cary 5000 UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer