Rhodium alloys dioxide

Japanese chemists succeeded in obtaining good yields of methane by reaction of H2 with a mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, at temperatures as low as 270 °C, by use of a special mixed catalyst containing nickel as the most important metallic constituent. Why is nickel used In the same vein, why is platinum or platinum-rhodium alloy (but not nickel) used in catalytic converters for automobile exhausts (See also Section 17.4.)... 

For anodic processes the choice of materials for the electrode is much more limited than for cathodic ones, as the anode could bo easily attacked by the products of the electrolysis (chlorine, oxygon etc.), or electrochemioally dissolved. In alkaline solutions the selection will be restricted to the application of platinum (or alloys of platinum with irridium or rhodium), palladium, carbon (or rather graphite) iron and nickel, while for acid solutions only metals of the platinum group and graphite will be suitable in a special case of the electrolysis in sulphuric acid solutions lead has found wide use, it getting coated with a conductive film of lead dioxide. 

Various alloys and metalBc oxides have been tried as catalysts, but platinum containing between 2% and 10% rhodium is usuaQy preferred 161. Nitric oxide produced in the ammor converter must be oxidized furiher to nitrogen dioxide by the excess air present in the reaction mixture ... 

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