XPS analysis of nikki N111 catalyst pellets

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed on several pellets of Nikki N111 catalyst to determine elemental composition. Of specific interest, the Nikki MSDS for this material cites a 20 wt. % contribution from the species "Others". XPS was employed to determine more precisely the chemical composition of the pellets and search for potential catalytic metal species not identified on the MSDS. Results are tabulated in Table 1 below. XPS analysis of the chemical composition of the catalyst pellets compares favorably to the N ikki MSDS, if the assumption is made that the nickel in the catalyst is oxidized to Ni2O3. Specifically, using a 100 g sample basis, the 49 grams of nickel metal specified in the MSDS would carry 20 grams of oxygen if it were oxidized to Ni2O3, potentially accounting for the 20 wt. %"Others". XPS was able to confirm the presence of copper and chromium in the pellets, each expected at less than 1 atomic percent and quantified at 1-3 atomic percent concentrations, but no metal species not identified by the MSDS were detected.