Abstract

This study was focused on changes of the iron oxide mineralogy with temperature of two Chilean soils (Andisol and Ultisol) derived from volcanic materials and their use as iron-based catalysts in the water gas shift reaction (WGSR). Ultisol materials produced about twice as much hydrogen than did those from Andisol upon WGSR, but in both cases hydrogen yielding increased as the heating temperature of the soil materials increased from 124°C to 500°C. The room temperature Mössbauer spectra showed an increase of the relative proportion of the magnetically ordered components as temperature increased. Higher heating temperature produced a negative effect on the catalytic activity, whereas the organic matter destruction led to a positive effect, due to an increasing exposition of the iron oxide surfaces; heating the soil sample at 600 °C induced changes on the iron oxide mineralogy with a significant decrease of the catalytic activity. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.