Catalysts in industry
Catalysts are very widely used across industries and industrial processes. The reason is economic — the same product could be obtained without a catalyst, but the time it would take, or the temperature it would need, may be more than an industry can bear.
| Chemical industry | Catalyst used |
|---|---|
| The Haber process for making ammonia | Porous iron |
| The contact process for making sulphuric acid | Vanadium pentoxide |
| Making nitric acid by the oxidation of ammonia | Platinum |
| Making margarine by hydrogenating unsaturated fats | Nickel |
Table 17.1
Notice one thing as you read the table: three of the four catalysts are metals. Transition metals and their oxides are the workhorses of industrial catalysis, because of the particular properties of their surfaces.