Synthesis and characterization of vanadium pentoxide on different metal oxides by the sol-gel process for application in the conversion of the SO2 to SO3

Abstract

Sulfuric acid is the largest volume chemical currently produced in the world. Is manufactured by the contact process, it involves three stages: combustion, conversion and absorption. The SO₂ conversion reaction is the key step in the process, it uses catalysis. The objective of this work is to synthesize a series of mixed vanadium oxides X% / MO₂ with M (Si, Al and Ti) by sol-gel process followed by calcination at 400 ° C, in order to study their reactivity in the catalytic oxidation of SO₂ to SO₃. Characterization of those materials was carried out by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis (TDA/TGA) and N₂ adsorption at 77 K. Their acid-base properties are studied by the decomposition reaction of isopropanol (propan-2-ol). In this work, we have studied the reactivity of the catalysts prepared in the conversion of SO₂ to SO₃ by an iodometric as dosage which consists in assaying the iode with sodium thiosulfate.