Thermodynamic properties of surface carbon on ruthenium

Abstract The thermodynamic properties of surface carbon on alumina-supported ruthenium have been determined from measurements of the Boudouard equilibrium in the temperature range from 525 to 675 K. The results indicate that the enthalpy of surface-carbon formation on Ru is positive relative to graphite and insensitive to the fractional coverage with carbon. Measurements of the chemical reactivity of surface carbon towards hydrogen indicate that the high-enthalpy carbon forms methane at relatively low temperatures (275 K).