A Contribution to the Structure Characteristics and Phase Composition of Vanadium-Phosphorus Catalysts Prepared from the VOPO4.xH2O.yH3PO4 Precursor

Catalysts were prepared from VOPO4.xH2O.yH3PO4 (x = 0.3-2, y = 0.2-0.85) by reduction with SO2 up to a final temperature of 750-800 °C, and activated in a reaction mixture of 1.0-1.4% butane in air up to 500 °C. The structure characteristics and phase composition of the catalysts were found to be affected by the preparation procedure and heat treatment regime. Their diffraction lines and IR spectra revealed that the catalysts from larger and less defective crystals than catalysts which were obtained from the VOHPO4.xH2O.yH3PO4 precursor and activated in the reaction mixture at temperatures up to 500 °C. In the catalysts prepared by the above procedure, the tendency to the formation of phases of higher-condensed phosphates, in particular VO(PO3)2 or even V(PO3)3, increases with increasing n(P):n(V) ratio and is then more pronounced than with vanadium-phosphorus catalysts prepared by other procedures. The tendency to the formation of the catalytically less active condensed phosphates is partly suppressed by the embedding of modifying metal cations (Fe or Cu in this case).