Decomposition of NH3 on Pd and Ir Comparison with Pt and Rh

The unimolecular decomposition of NO has been examine on Pd and Ir and they are compared with the corresponding reactions on Pt and Rh. The runs were carried out in a differential flow reactor, at pressures from 0.01 to 5 Torr and temperatures from 500 to 1800 K. It was found that all rates of product formation could be described by Langmuir-Hinshelwood unimolecular rate expression, with an accuracy of±20% und all conditions. The decomposition of NO was virtually identical on Pt and Pd, and on Rh and Ir, but varied widely with temperature between these two groups of metals.