Catalytic Activity of Cobalt-Molybdenum in Gas-Phase Ketonisation of Pentanoic Acid

Ketonisation of pentanoic acid over bulk cobalt-molybdenum and its supported catalysts in the gas-phase was investigated using a fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure at 320-420°C. Compared to other supported catalysts, 20% Co-Mo/Al2O3 demonstrated the best catalytic performance and stability giving to give 95% 5-nonanoe selectivity at 91% pentanoic acid conversion at 308°C and ambient pressure for 5 h time on stream (TOS).However, its stability was e for 15 h TOS with small catalytic deactivation. In this study, catalytic characterization was determined using TGA and BET surface area analyses while acidity was measured using FTIR spectroscopy