Glossary

Catalytic exhaust gas purification is a process used in industry to reduce pollutants in exhaust gases through chemical reactions on a catalyst.

Catalytic activity describes the ability of a catalyst to accelerate a chemical reaction by increasing the reaction rate compared to the uncatalyzed reaction under otherwise identical process conditions.

Activated carbon is a highly porous carbon with an exceptionally large internal surface area, which is created by a widely branched network of micro-, meso- and macropores. This pore structure

A batch reactor is a closed reaction type used to carry out chemical or biochemical reactions. All reactants (educts) are placed in

A co-catalyst is a substance that is used together with the main catalyst in a chemical reaction to improve its activity, selectivity or stability. Co-catalysts

Steam reforming is an industrial process for producing hydrogen (H₂) from hydrocarbon-containing compounds such as methane (CH₄) or other fossil fuels.

Deactivation The deactivation of catalysts is a central aspect in the development and optimization of chemical processes. It describes the irreversible or reversible reduction of the catalytic

A precious metal, such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), silver (Ag) and gold (Au) are metals that are particularly chemically stable

A fixed bed reactor is a chemical reactor in which the catalyst or reaction mass is present in a solid phase (as a “fixed bed”), while the reactants are in a liquid

Catalysis research aims to make chemical reactions more efficient; the “secret” is to lower the activation energy by catalytically active atoms on the surface. It works in an interdisciplinary manner (a

Catalysts "live" from the active centers on their surface; these can be tiny platinum particles, acid centers, iron crystal surfaces, liquid vanadium oxide islands, finely dispersed nickel metal, etc. It is at these centers that the reactions take place.

Halogenated hydrocarbons including hydrogen chlorides (CHCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs or HCFCs) are synthetic organic compounds that have been and are used in various industrial applications.

Our customers need solutions, often a combination of individual services. C&CS is a full-service provider of industrial catalysis and can offer integrated services including: – Expertise (reports,

An inhibitor is a substance that reduces the rate of a chemical reaction or stops it completely without being permanently consumed. Inhibitors are found in

A catalyst support is a material with a large specific surface on which catalytically active metal particles are fixed. The activity of heterogeneous catalysts is largely determined by the accessibility

Catalytically active centers are pure surface chemistry: atoms, ions, atom clusters, adsorbed molecules, chemisorbed groups, crystal surfaces … on carrier materials. They are the places on a catalyst where

Catalysts are indispensable for the industrial hydrogenation of fats, as they make the reaction more efficient, controllable and economical by significantly increasing the reaction rate and

Coke formation, also known as coking, is a common problem in catalysis, especially in processes that use hydrocarbons or carbon oxides. It describes the formation

The contact process is the most important industrial process for the production of sulfuric acid and is one of the most important industrial processes in inorganic chemistry. It is based on the

Molecular sieves belong to the group of zeolites. These materials, consisting of aluminum silicates, are used to separate molecules according to their size or shape. The term “molecular sieve” derives

Catalytic afterburning is a modern process for cleaning industrial exhaust air using a catalyst containing precious metals. This process is used to remove harmful organic compounds (VOCs)

Nanoparticles are particles in the size range of 1–100 nm that consist of a few atoms or molecules. They are characterized by their altered physical and chemical properties

Oleum, also known as fuming sulfuric acid, is a highly concentrated solution of sulfuric acid containing sulfur trioxide (SO₃). It is produced by the contact process, in which sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is catalytically reacted.

A promoter is a substance that improves the activity of a catalyst without being catalytically active itself. Promoters act in a supportive manner by increasing the efficiency or

Selectivity describes the ability of a chemical reaction to preferentially form a certain product (value product) while minimizing the formation of undesirable by-products. A distinction is made between by-products

Silica gel, also known as silica gel, is an amorphous, porous silicon dioxide (SiO₂) with a high specific surface area, typically 600–800 m²/g. It is produced by polycondensation.

Sintering describes the loss of the catalytically active surface of a catalyst as a result of structural modifications. This is a thermally activated process that is physical in nature and

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is an industrial process for controlling nitrogen oxides (NOx) after combustion by reducing ammonia in the presence of a vanadium catalyst to

Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) consist of a mixture of nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and are among the most significant pollutants. They are formed during combustion processes in engines under

Syngas is a gas mixture consisting mainly of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) in variable proportions. Depending on the raw materials used and the production processes

Thermocatalysis is a process in which chemical reactions are accelerated by the combined action of heat (thermo) and a catalyst. It is one of the

Total oxidation is a chemical reaction in which organic compounds are completely oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). In the world of catalysis, this catalytically supported

Dry bed absorption in the semiconductor industry is a safe, passive method of treating exhaust gases from ion implantations, SiO2 etching, … and as an emergency absorber gas cabinet. It removes toxic

Desiccants are materials or chemical substances used to remove moisture from gases or liquids by using chemical or physical principles

Conversion is the percentage of the starting material – so-called substrates – that is converted or “converted” into products. In chemical

Catalyst poisoning refers to the deactivation of a catalyst by the adsorption of undesirable substances, so-called poisons, on its active centers (see chemisorption). These poisons, such as

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are chemical compounds in organic chemistry whose boiling point is in the temperature range of 60 °C to 250 °C and which

The water-gas shift reaction (WGS) is a chemical reaction that plays a central role in the production of hydrogen from hydrocarbons or coal. It is

Zeolites are a class of mineral or synthetic aluminosilicates that have a porous crystal structure. They consist of aluminum, silicon, oxygen and often additional cations