Identification of Deactivation Mechanisms by the Periodic Transient Kinetic Method

Abstract The understanding of deactivation processes in heterogeneous catalysis is key for the development of new materials and exploration of new operation windows. In this contribution, the periodic transient kinetic method (PTK) is used to identify and separate catalyst deactivation processes for the first time. The PTK method is applied for a standard Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst in CO and CO 2 methanation for 24 h and compared to steady‐state experiments. For the example reactions, the study exhibits different deactivation behavior for CO and CO 2 methanation. The results demonstrate that the PTK method delivers an insight into the deactivation process and furthermore gives evidence for the underlying mechanism.