Study of copper-chromium oxide catalyst: I. Thermal decomposition of copper(III) chromate,CuCrO4

The kinetics, mechanism, and activation energy of the isothermal decomposition of CuCrO₄ was studied using an isothermal TG method and an X-ray high-temperature diffraction technique in either air or a flowing atmosphere of N₂. The enthalpy change ΔH of the decomposition reaction

$\text{2}\text{CuCrO}{}_4\text{→}\text{CuO}\text{+}\text{CuO}\text{+}\text{CuCr}{}_2\text{O}{}_4\text{+}\text{3}\text{2}\text{O}{}_2$

was determined by DSC analysis. The mechanism of the thermal decomposition of CuCrO₄ is well represented by the standard Avrami-Erofeev kinetic equation $\text{?}\text{ln}\text{(1 ? α)]}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= kt}$. According to this mechanism, the reaction rate is controlled by the formation and growth of nuclei on the surface of the reactant. The activation energy E_A of the process in air is E_A = (248 ± 8) kJ mole^?1, in flowing atmosphere of nitrogen E_A = (229 ± 8) kJ mole^?1. ΔH in air is 110 kJ mole^?1, in flowing nitrogen 67 kJ mole^?1. The lower values of ΔH and E_A in the flowing atmosphere of nitrogen are due to the fast elimination of O₂ from the reaction interface. However, the decay of the crystalline portion of CuCrO₄ during its thermal decomposition, studied by the X-ray diffraction, is controlled by a different reaction mechanism (first-order kinetics). The reaction mechanism is discussed in the relation to the crystal structure of the reactants.