Studies on the copper chromite catalystIII. Increase in the activity of the copper chromite catalyst by the water-gas reaction

The copper chromite catalyst is used in the reduction of fatty esters into higher alcohols. In this reaction the copper chromite catalyst, CuO/CuCr 2 O 4 * , is reduced to Cu/Cr 2 O 3 * by hydrogen. In this reduction a part of the water formed is adsorbed onto the catalyst and gives Cu/Cr 2 O 3 . (H 2 O) ad . The other part of the catalyst remains as Cu/Cr 2 O 3 , which is at least one form of the true active catalyst. If carbon monoxide is added to this system, the water-gas reaction takes place, and results in Cu/Cr 2 O 3 . (CO 2 ) ad . By evacuation this becomes Cu/Cr 2 O 3 , the activity of which is larger than that of the originally formed Cu/Cr 2 O 3 . Externally added water behaves similarly with that formed by the reduction of the catalyst. Reduction of CuO/CuCr 2 O 4 by carbon monoxide also gives Cu/Cr 2 O 3 , but the treatment of the reduced catalyst with CO and water does not increase the activity of the catalyst.