Studies on chromia/zirconia catalysts. 1. Preparation and characterization of the system

The preparation and characterization (chemical, textural, DTA, XRD, XPS) of chromium oxide/zirconia, of interest as hydrogenation catalysts, are reported. The support (obtained via ZrOCl{sub 2} hydrolysis) can be tailored in surface area from high (360 m{sup 2}g{sup {minus}1}) values, and in texture from microporous to mesoporous and macropourous according to the treatment temperature (from 383 to 923 K) of the starting hydrous zirconia. By contacting the support with Cr(VI) solution, chromium-loaded specimens, ZC, are prepared. The Cr uptake is roughly constant (1.5 to 1.9 Cr atoms nm{sup {minus}2} for zirconia previously heated at T{ge} 573 to 923 K). Higher loadings can be reached on the hydrous zirconia. Supported Cr oxide is an effective antisintering agent for zirconia, and it also opposes the tetragonal{yields} monoclinic transition. By subjecting the ZC specimens to various heat and redox treatments, the average oxidation number of Cr, n, changes. From an initial value of +6, n decreases to +5.5 after oxygen treatment at 773 K, to +2.5 after CO treatment at 623 K, and can be restored to +5.5 if the sample is reoxidized in oxygen at 773 K. Treatment in H{sub 2}O vapor at 723 K of a reduced (n = 2.5) specimen brings n to 3.0. The separate paper presents an ESR investigation and discussed the nature of the surface CCr species.