Cobalt-lanthanum catalyst precursors for ammonia synthesis: determination of calcination temperature and storage conditions

A thermal decomposition of a cobalt-lanthanum catalyst precursor containing a mixture of cobalt and lanthanum compounds obtained by co-precipitation were studied using thermal analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS). Studies revealed that the calcination in air at 500 degrees C is suffi cient to transform the obtained cobalt precipitate into Co3O4, but it leads to only partial decomposition of lanthanum precipitate. In order to obtain Co/La catalyst precursor containing La2O3 the calcination in air at the temperature about 800 degrees C is required. However, it is unfavorable from the point of view of textural properties of the catalyst precursor. A strong effect of storage conditions on the phase composition of the studied cobalt-lanthanum catalyst precursor, caused by the formation of lanthanum hydroxide and lanthanum carbonates from La2O3 when contacting with air, was observed.