Effect of catalyst basicity for COS-SO2 and COS hydrolysis reactions*1

The effect of catalyst basicity on the following reactions: 2COS + SO2 ⇄ 2CO2 + 3xSx, COS + H2O ⇄ CO2 + H2S was investigated by loading NaOH on to Chromosorb-A (a commercial gas chromatographic support) and a cobalt-molybdate catalyst and determining the relative activities of these catalysts on the basis of initial rates. It was observed that the catalyst basicity increased the rate for COS hydrolysis but not for COS-SO2 reaction. A mechanism involving the participation of basic sites and the presence of abstractable protons in the reactants is postulated for these reactions.