Chloropentafluoroethane hydrodechlorination over tungsten carbides: Influence of surface stoichiometry

Tungsten carbides were prepared by temperature-programmed reaction of WO3 with methane/hydrogen mixture and activated according to several thermal treatments by varying the temperature or the feed composition. Modification of these parameters was expected to change the surface composition (C/W). Such surface modifications have been related to acid-base properties observed in the decomposition of isopropanol. Finally, it was found that such acidic properties arc probably involved in the dehydrohalogenation of chloropentafluoroethane responsible mainly for the formation of unsaturated compounds. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).