Identification of deactivation mechanisms by periodic transient kinetic method

The understanding of deactivation processes in heterogeneous catalysis is key for the development of new materials and exploration of new operation windows. In this contribution, the periodic transient kinetic method (PTK) is used to identify and separate catalyst deactivation processes for the first time. The PTK-method is applied for a standard Ni/Al2O3 catalyst in CO and CO2 methanation for 24 h, and compared to steady-state experiments. For the example reactions, the study exhibits different deactivation behaviour for CO and CO2 methanation. The results show that the PTK method delivers an insight into the deactivation process and furthermore gives evidence for the underlying mechanism.