A catalyst in different to the reactants in a reaction is called heterogeneous catalysis. A heterogeneous catalyst is generally a solide and reactants are usually gases (
or sometimes liquids )
. Some important industrial reactions which are hetergeneous catalytic reactions are given below :
a.
Synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen in the presence of iron as catalyst is a heterogeneous catalytic reaction.
N2(g)+2H2(g)
Fe(s)
→
Mo(s)
2NH3
b.
Manufacture of sulphur trioxide (SO3)
by the oxidation of sulphur dioxide (SO2)
in the presence of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5)
catalystis a heterogeneous catalytic reaction.
SO2(g)+
1
2
O2(g)
V2O5(s)
→
SO3(g)
(ContactProcess)
c.
Dehydration of ethanol by alumina (Al2O3)
is a heterogeneous catalytic reaction.
C2H5OH
Al2O3(s)
→
C2H4(g)+H2O(l)
d.
Reduction of nitrobenzene in the presence of nickel catalyst.
C6H5NO2(l)
Nitrobenzene
+6(H)
Ni(s)
→
C6H5NH2(l)
Aniline
+2H2O(l)
