The Formation of Filamentous Carbon on Iron and Nickel Catalysts
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JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS %,468-480 (1985) The Formation of Filamentous Carbon on Iron and Nickel Catalysts II. Mechanism A.J.H.M. KOCK, P. K. DE BOKX, E. BOELLAARD, W. KLOP, AND J. W. GEUS Department of Inorganic Chemistry, State University of Utrecht, Croesestraat 77A, 3522 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands Received May 31, 1984; revised February 18, 1985 The mechanism of filamentous carbon growth on iron and nickel catalysts has been studied using a combination of magnetic techniques and temperature-programmed hydrogenation. CO and CH4 were used as carburizing agents. It is concluded that high carbide contents are a prerequisite for the nucleation of filamentous carbon. The presence of a substoichiometric nickel carbide during steady-state growth is established. In the case of iron the hexagonal a-Fe2C or .a’-Fe& is proposed to be the intermediate in filamentous growth. The driving force for carbon transport can be appreci- ated considering the presence of a gradient in the carbon content of nonstoichiometric car- bides. 0 1985 Academic press. inc. INTRODUCTION to an exothermic surface reaction was the driving force for whisker growth. In this In Part I (I) we presented evidence for model carbon segregated at the cold rear of the involvement of carbide intermediates in the particle, where the solubility of carbon filamentous carbon growth on iron and is smaller. A severe criticism of this model nickel catalysts. The characterization of is found in the occurrence of filamentous these carbides under growth conditions as growth during endothermic decomposition well as the mechanism leading to filament reactions. Baker et al. (9) have replied that growth is the subject of the present study, saturated hydrocarbons are known to de- A number of mechanisms explaining fila- compose via their dehydrogenated analogs. mentous carbon growth on transition Decomposition of the latter compounds is metals has been suggested (24). Carbon exothermic and, consequently, a mecha- can be transported by a surface diffusion nism involving thermal diffusion would not process or by bulk diffusion through the be contravened. This explanation, how- particle. Massaro and Petersen (5) showed ever, calls for separate sites where only the that surface diffusion of carbon on nickel endothermic dehydrogenation takes place. foils is negligibly small in the temperature Rostrup-Nielsen and Trimm (3), refer- range 620-970 K. Also the sparse data for ring to Wada et al. (IO), assumed that car- surface migration of hydrocarbon species bon species of different origin have a differ- indicate that carbon transport does not pro- ent solubility. Thus, carbon species at the ceed through surface diffusion of hydrocar- metal-gas interface originating from hydro- bon fragments (6). At present a growth carbon decomposition reactions have a model involving bulk diffusion through the higher solubility than carbon originating metal particle is generally accepted (7). The from graphite. The resulting concentration driving force responsible for this bulk diffu- gradient is thought to be responsible for sion, however, has not been unequivocally carbon transport. However, the physical established. basis for these different solubilities has not Baker et al. (2, 8) stated that a tempera- been clarified. ture gradient across the metal particle due Buyanov et al. (4, 11, 12) proposed a 468 0021-9517185 $3.00 Copyright 8 1985 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. FILAMENTOUS CARBON ON Fe AND Ni CATALYSTS, II 469 when the transport of carbon proceeds through interstitially dissolved carbon. Magnetic measurements enabled us to as- sess the presence of (intermediate) metal carbides during the different stages of car- bon deposition. The carbide content in the early stages of filamentous growth was monitored using in situ magnetization mea- surements. Carbon contents present during steady-state filamentous growth were quan- titatively determined using temperature- programmed hydrogenation (TPH). Combi- / nation with measurements of the saturation magnetization (MS) yielded information about the chemical nature of the carbon FIG. 1. Schematic diagram of apparatus for magnetic species. The identification of ferro/ferri- measurements: (1) sample holder, (2) cooler/heater, (3) magnetic phases was performed employing transportable electromagnet, (4) Helmholtz sensing thermomagnetic analysis (TMA). Implica- coils, (5) integrating device. tions for the mechanism of filamentous growth will be given. carbide-cycle mechanism: this invoked EXPERIMENTAL consecutive formation and decomposition of carbides, where carbon separated in the Apparatus latter step leads to the formation of fila- Magnetic measurements were performed ments. Thus, no longer interstitial carbon using a modified Weiss-extraction method with an extremely low (extrapolated) solu- (Fig. 1). Ferromagnetic samples could be bility was considered, but the carbon was magnetized in fields up to 0.52 MA m-l. supposed to have a carbidic nature. The magnetic field (H) was produced by a Previously (Z), we observed that during Newport Type A electromagnet with 60- carbon whisker growth on iron and nickel mm pole faces separated by a 46-mm gap. catalysts equilibria with carbides were at- Between the magnet poles two interrupted tained. Independently, we established the Helmholtz sensing coils were mounted co- presence of carbon at concentrations axially. These pick-up coils were 20 mm in greatly exceeding the solubility of intersti- diameter and each contained 18,000 turns tial carbon in iron as well as in nickel, in of insulated copper wire (diameter 0.1 mm). agreement with prior reports (13). Re- They were connected in series, but in an cently, for iron catalysts cementite (f3-Fe3C) opposite sense to minimize disturbances was proposed to be the catalyst for carbon caused by field fluctuations. Extraction of deposition (Sacco et al. (24)). Baker et al. the magnetized sample from the pick-up (9) observed no carbon whisker growth coil generates an induction voltage. The starting from &Fe$ at all, however. The time integral of the induction voltage corre- presence of Eckstrom-Adcock carbide sponds to the net change of magnetic flux at (Fe&) at the tip of carbon filaments has the pick-up coil. Integration was done after been demonstrated (15). amplification (1000X). Instead of displacing In this study we present experiments the specimen, in our modification of the which allow a discrimination to be made Weiss-extraction method the electromagnet between the mechanisms mentioned above. could be transported along two rails over It is very unlikely that a carbon content ap- any desired distance. The magnetization of proximating that of a carbide is attained, samples could be measured at temperatures 470 KOCK ET AL. ranging from 100 up to 740 K using an indi- where (I). For the nickel catalyst reported rect air cooler/heater. The quartz sample on in this paper the dispersion was esti- holder was connected to a conventional Py- mated to be 0.1 [the Langevin low-field esti- rex high-vacuum system, equipped with a mate (17) for the mean particle size (assum- quadrupole mass spectrometer (Leybold- ing spherical particles) was 5.4 nm]. The Heraeus Q 200). The sample holder was dispersion of the iron catalyst was esti- also suited for atmospheric flow experi- mated to be 0.02 from X-ray line broaden- ments allowing for simultaneous mass- ing, using the Scherrer equation. spectrometric gas analysis. Temperature- programmed experiments could be carried RESULTS out at heating rates ranging from 1.7 to 300 mK s-l. Nickel Catalysts In some experiments also a vibrating- A. Transient carburization behavior. To sample magnetometer was used. The prin- investigate the transient behavior of nickel ciple of this technique has been clearly out- catalyst particles concurrent with filamen- lined in Ref. (16). This apparatus enables tous carbon growth, the magnetization of a us to perform magnetization experiments freshly reduced 50 wt% NiBi catalyst at liquid-nitrogen temperature at a field (reduction temperature 870 K) was moni- strength up to 1.12 MA m-i. After the cata- tored as a function of time. As electron mi- lyst pretreatment (reduction or carburiza- croscopy (I) revealed that nickel particles tion) 50 mg of the catalyst was brought into with a diameter larger than 10 nm were in- the sample holder under a nitrogen atmo- volved exclusively in filament growth, the sphere to prevent oxidation of the sample. measurement of the magnetization should be performed under conditions that give Procedures and Catalysts high weighting to the larger particles. The Thermomagnetic analysis was performed moderate H/T values applied guarantees at the maximum field strength (0.52 MA that nickel atoms present in larger particles m-l). These analyses were carried out in a predominantly contribute to the observed helium atmosphere or in a flow of 10 ~01% magnetization. Figure 2 shows the time de- of hydrogen diluted with argon at a total pendence of the magnetization during car- flow rate of 0.14 cm3 s-i. The magnetically burization with 10 ~01% of methane in ni- monitored transient carburization experi- trogen at a flow rate of 0.8 cm3 s-i. The ments were also measured at the maximum magnetization was measured during 15 ks, field strength. To prevent displacement of while also after a period of 65 ks a final catalytic material during the magnetic mea- measurement was made. Methane was cho- surements the reactor bed was covered sen as the carburizing agent to prevent in- with a layer of quartz fragments. The satu- terference by Ostwald ripening of nickel ration magnetization at room temperature particles due to transport via Ni(COk. The was determined by linear extrapolation of magnetization was followed during carburi- the it4 versus l/H plot. zation at three different temperatures, viz. Temperature-programmed hydrogena- 576, 596, and 611 K. Initially a decrease of tion was performed at a heating rate of 0.1 the magnetization was observed. Having K s-l using a flow of 0.8 cm3 s-l of 10 ~01% passed through a minimum, the magnetiza- hydrogen in argon.