Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Kinetics and mechanism of the preparation of Raney® copper

  • Published:
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Raney® copper is an active hydrogenation catalyst formed by the selective dissolution of aluminium from a Cu–Al alloy. The structure of Raney® copper is presented in a series of images taken using a focussed ion beam miller (FIB). The images show a structure consisting of a uniform three-dimensional network of fine copper ligaments. A rotating disc electrode, used to control the diffusion layer, enabled a study of the kinetics of the leaching reaction at 269–303 K in 2–8 m NaOH. Under these conditions, the reaction rate was constant and independent of hydroxide concentration. The activation energy for leaching was determined as 69±7 kJ mol−1. The mixed corrosion potential of the dissolving alloy has been related to the exposed copper surface area, which in turn is dependent on the leaching rate and the mechanism of rearrangement. The overall mechanism of formation/rearrangement of the Raney® copper structure was found to be mainly dissolution/redeposition of copper atoms, with surface or volume diffusion, or possibly both, playing a minor role.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M. Raney, US Patent 1 563 587 (1 Dec. 1925).

  2. M. Raney, US Patent 1 628 190 (10 May 1927).

  3. L. Faucounau, Bull. Soc. Chim. 4(5) (1937) 58.

    Google Scholar 

  4. B.V. Aller, J. Appl. Chem. 7 (1957) 130.

    Google Scholar 

  5. M. Raney, Ind. Eng. Chem. 32(9) (1940) 1199.

    Google Scholar 

  6. B.V. Aller, J. Appl. Chem. 8 (1958) 492.

    Google Scholar 

  7. J.A. Stanfield and P.E. Robbins, `Raney Copper Catalysts', in Proc. 2nd Int. Cong. Catal., Paris (1960), 2579–99.

  8. M.S. Wainwright, ‘Raney Copper-A Potential Methanol Synthe-sis Catalyst’, in ‘Alcohol Fuels’, Sydney, 9-11 Aug. (1978), p. 8–1.

  9. W.L. Marsden, M.S. Wainwright and J.B. Friedrich, Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev. 19(4) (1980) 551.

    Google Scholar 

  10. J.B. Friedrich, D.J. Young and M.S. Wainwright, J. Catal. 80 (1983) 1.

    Google Scholar 

  11. J.B. Friedrich, D.J. Young and M.S. Wainwright, J. Catal. 80 (1983) 14.

    Google Scholar 

  12. H.E. Curry-Hyde, D.J. Young and M.S. Wainwright, Appl. Catal. 29 (1987) 31.

    Google Scholar 

  13. M.S. Wainwright and D.L. Trimm, Catal. Today 23 (1995) 29.

    Google Scholar 

  14. H.E. Curry-Hyde, D.J. Young and M.S. Wainwright, J. Electro-chem. Soc. 135(8) (1988) 1902.

    Google Scholar 

  15. D.J. Young, M.S. Wainwright and R.B. Anderson, J. Catal. 64 (1980) 116.

    Google Scholar 

  16. J. Szot and D.J. Young, Philos. Mag. Lett. 55(3) (1987) 109.

    Google Scholar 

  17. M.M. Kalina, A.B. Fasman and V.N. Ermolaev, Kinet. Katal. 21(3) (1980) 813.

    Google Scholar 

  18. M.M. Kalina, A.B. Fasman and V.N. Ermolaev, Deposited Doc., VINITI 1022–80 (1980).

  19. M.J. Pryor and J.C. Fister, J. Electrochem Soc. 131(6) (1984) 1230.

    Google Scholar 

  20. H.W. Pickering and C. Wagner, J. Electrochem. Soc. 114(7) (1967) 698.

    Google Scholar 

  21. H.W. Pickering, J. Electrochem. Soc. 115(2) (1968) 143.

    Google Scholar 

  22. H.W. Pickering, J. Electrochem. Soc. 117(1) (1970) 8.

    Google Scholar 

  23. A.J. Forty and P. Durkin, Philos. Mag. A 42(3) (1980) 295.

    Google Scholar 

  24. A.J. Forty, Gold Bull. 14(1) (1981) 25.

    Google Scholar 

  25. A.J. Forty and G. Rowlands, Philos. Mag. A 43(1) (1981) 171.

    Google Scholar 

  26. P. Durkin and A.J. Forty, Philos. Mag. A 45(1) (1982) 95.

    Google Scholar 

  27. P.R. Swann, Corrosion 25(4) (1969) 147.

    Google Scholar 

  28. P.R. Swann, in `Localized Corrosion' (edited by B.F. Brown, J. Kruger and R.W. Staehle), NACE, Williamsburg, VA (1971), pp. 104–111.

    Google Scholar 

  29. I.D. Zartsyn, A.V. Vvedenskii and I.K. Marshakov, Russ. J. Electrochem. 30(4) (1994) 492.

    Google Scholar 

  30. M. Sato and N. Ohta, Bull. Chem. Soc. Japan 28(3) (1955) 182.

    Google Scholar 

  31. A.D. Tomsett, H.E. Curry-Hyde, M.S. Wainwright, D.J. Young, and A.J. Bridgewater, Appl. Catal. 33 (1987) 119.

    Google Scholar 

  32. H.H. Pickering, J. Electrochem. Soc. 115(7) (1968) 690.

    Google Scholar 

  33. K. Sieradzki, J. Electrochem. Soc. 140(10) (1993) 2868.

    Google Scholar 

  34. K.E. Heusler, Corros. Sci. 39(7) (1997) 1177.

    Google Scholar 

  35. J.B. Friedrich, D.J. Young, and M.S. Wainwright, J. Electrochem. Soc. 128(9) (1981) 1845.

    Google Scholar 

  36. O. Levenspiel, `Chemical Reaction Engineering', 2nd edn (J. Wiley & Sons, Singapore, 1972), p. 372.

    Google Scholar 

  37. A.J. Bard and L.R. Faulkner, `Electrochemical Methods: Funda-mentals & Applications' (J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1980), Section 3.

    Google Scholar 

  38. A.I. Golubev and M.N. Ronzhin, Prot. Metals 1 (1965) 169.

    Google Scholar 

  39. L. Ma, D.L. Trimm, and M.S. Wainwright, Promoted Skeletal Copper Catalysts for Methanol Synthesis in `Advances of Alcohol Fuels in the World' Beijing, China 21–24 Sept. (1998), pp. 1–7.

  40. C. Herring, J. Appl. Phys. 21 (1950) 301.

    Google Scholar 

  41. K. Sieradzki, R.R. Corderman, K. Shukla, and R.C. Newman, Philos. Mag. A 59(4) (1989) 713.

    Google Scholar 

  42. M.D. Zholudev and V.V. Stender, J. Appl. Chem. USSR 31 (1958) 711.

    Google Scholar 

  43. C. Herring, Surface Tension as a Motivation for Sintering in `The Physics of Powder Metallurgy' (edited by W.E. Kingston), (Bayside, L. I., New York, 24–26 Aug., 1949 McGraw-Hill Book Company).

    Google Scholar 

  44. W.W. Mullins, Solid surface morphologies governed by capillarity, in `Metal Surfaces: Structure Energetics and Kinetics', 27–28 Oct.1962, ASM.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering & Industrial Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2052

    A.J. Smith, T. Tran & M.S. Wainwright

Authors
  1. A.J. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Tran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M.S. Wainwright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, A., Tran, T. & Wainwright, M. Kinetics and mechanism of the preparation of Raney® copper. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 29, 1085–1094 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003637410133

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003637410133

Search

Navigation