Preparation of highly active cobalt-molybdenum catalysts for the ammonia synthesis with a developed specific surface area - CoMoN

The scientific work was financed by The Polish National Centre for Research and Development, grant „Lider”, project No. LIDER/10/0039/L-10/18/NCBR/2019. Total funding: 1,500,000 PLN

Cobalt molybdenum nitrides referred to as CoMoN exhibit higher activity in ammonia synthesis than the commercial promoted iron catalyst. Despite the high activity, the application of the CoMoN catalyst is still limited due to its poor textural parameters and the price of raw materials. The main goal of this project is to develop a simple and affordable method for the preparation of a supported CoMoN catalyst with high activity and thermal stability as well as with a developed specific surface area. A high dispersion of the active phase on the carrier will improve the textural parameters of the catalyst and reduce its price. The material can find application e.g. in existing chemical plants which produce nitrogen fertilizers. Optimization of the ammonia production can bring huge economic benefits, especially to countries with a chemical industry focused on the production of fertilizers, such as Poland.