Development of fused iron catalysts for ammonia synthesis

3 Development of fused iron catalysts for ammonia synthesis 

A variety of model reactors were manufactm-ed by BASF for the series of tests. Every reactor was fiUed with a few grams of catalyst, and continuously run from 24 h to 48 h repeatedly. At that time the experimental scale could be seen from the following data About 6,500 times of tests were carried out and about 2,500 of catalysts was studied in about one and half years till the beginning of 1912. 

German chemist in catalysis. He obtained a doctorate in chemical philosophy at Leipzig University nnder the supervision of Bodenstein after twists and turns. In 1904, he joined BASF and studied on ammonia synthesis as an assistant of Bosch. He noticed in study of iron nitrides that trace components changed catalytic performance dramatically and conducted studies of multi-component catalysts. He is a genius who found the doubly promoted iron catalysts only in more year. Haber and Bosch were awarded Nobel Prize for their contribntion to the technology of ammonia synthesis. It should be noted that the contribntion of Mittasch was no less than those of them. 

Mittasch as central one developed Zn0/Cr203 catalysts for methanol synthesis and Cobalt catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. 

Up to 1919, tests had been undertaken for more than 10,000 times and about 4,000 catalysts had been studied. Such research approach consisting of a large numbers of experiments reflected a completely new way of research in chemistry. Anyway, the combination system of various materials was found, which laid the foreground of industrial catalysts for ammonia synthesis in the relatively short time. FVom this point of view, the research approach was successful. 

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