Catalytic Combustion of the Stoichiometric n-Butane/Air Mixture on Isothermally Heated Platinum Wire

The catalytic combustion of the stoichiometric n-butane–air mixture per se or diluted with N₂, on a platinum wire at different initial pressures (10–70 kPa) and temperatures (690–1,080 K) was studied. The chemical heat flow rate, dQ _r/dt, of the surface reaction was measured in isothermal and isobaric conditions and the overall kinetic parameters were evaluated for both steady state and initial transient catalytic combustion. At low total pressure (10 kPa), the temperature dependence of dQ _r/dt indicated a normal (Arrhenius) behavior for 690 < T < 900 K, while at higher temperatures, over 900 K, an anti-Arrhenius behavior was found. The obtained results are consistent with a diffusion-controlled process, accompanied by reactant depletion around the catalytic surface, at higher temperatures.