Study of the Kinetics of Ammonia Synthesis and Decomposition on Iron and Cobalt Catalysts

Activity of cobalt and iron catalysts in ammonia synthesis was determined under a pressure of 10 MPa and at the temperature range of 673-823 K, in a six-channel integral steel reactor. The catalytic ammonia decomposition was studied in a differential reactor under the atmosphere of low concentration of ammonia (< 6%) in the temperature range of 673-823 K under atmospheric pressure. The determined values of the activation energy for the ammonia synthesis reaction over cobalt and iron catalysts are 268 and 180 kJ/mol, respectively, whilst for the ammonia decomposition reaction they are equal to 111 and 138 kJ/mol. The cobalt catalyst showed lower activity than a commercial iron catalyst in ammonia synthesis reaction. The cobalt catalyst turned out to be more effective in ammonia decomposition reaction than the iron one.