Catalytic Activity of CoO—ZnO Solid Solutions in the Decomposition of N2O

The catalytic properties of cobalt oxide-zinc oxide solid solutions towards the decomposition of NzO have been investigated. The system has been tested in the temperature range 400°—600°C, with different (480—600—700°C) outgassing temperatures. A "dilution effect" (higher activity per cobalt ion in the more dilute specimens) is shown to be present for the 600° and 700 °C conditioning temperatures. The role of the cobalt coordination and of the oxide matrix is also discussed.