Thermal stability studies between neat kaolin and iron (III) oxide dopped kaolin for industrial heterogeneous catalysts development

Abstract

Thermal stability studies between neat kaolin and iron (iii) oxide (Fe₂O₃/kaolin) dopped kaolin carried out using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in order to determine the stability of the two substances over wide temperature ranges. The TGA curves obtained for the two substances analysed revealed four distinct regions of weight loss as the temperature of the analysis keeps rising with time. The percentage weight losses observed for the neat kaolin are 10%, 55%, 20%, 4%, and 2%. Similarly, the percentage weight losses observed for the Fe₂O₃/kaolin are 5%, 30%, 40%, 3%, and 3% respectively. Generally speaking, doping the neat kaolin and its subsequent treatments to produce the Fe₂O₃/kaolin have enhanced the thermal stability of the neat kaolin which is an important property of any given heterogeneous catalyst.