Early Studies of Multicomponent Catalysts

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the early studies of multicomponent catalysts. The study of catalysis has expanded with increasing speed both in its technical and scientific aspects. In the course of this development, use is been made to a large extent, and with considerable success, of multicomponent catalysts (Mehrstoff-catalysts), that is, of catalysts which contain mixtures of various chemical constituents rather than one single chemical element or one single chemical compound. It is of interest to describe the first stages of the development that led to the thorough investigation and to the technical use of these catalysts. In some older hypotheses, catalytic processes have been set apart as essentially different from “normal” chemical reactions. However, these ideas have been abandoned in favor of the concept that catalytic processes are caused and controllcd by the same forces of chemical affinity as they are effective in bringing about “regular” chemical reactions. There can be, however, no doubt that in catalytic processes, purely physical factors play an important role, in addition to the chemical valence forces. This is particularly true for the solid catalysts of heterogeneous reactions for which the properties of surfaces, as the seats of catalytic action are of prime importance.