The catalytic incineration of n-hexane over a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst has been studied using a fixed bed reaction. The reaction was carried out in dry air between 250 and 350-degrees-C and at 1 atm pressure. The concentration of n-hexane was between 25 and 300 ppm. The reaction was found to be zero order in n-hexane concentration and the activation energy was found to be 21 kcal/mol. The zero order kinetics can be explained by a surface redox cycle known as Mars-van Krevelen mechanism in which the oxidation of surface Pt is the rate-controlling step.
