Kinetics of chlorination and oxychlorination of chromium (III) oxide

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is used to study the kinetics of chlorination of Cr₂O₃ with Cl₂+N₂ and Cl₂+O₂ gas mixtures in the temperature range of 550 °C to 1000 °C. The reactivity of Cr₂O₃ toward the chlorine-oxygen gas mixture is higher than that toward the chlorine-nitrogen one. Chlorination of Cr₂O₃ proceeds with an apparent activation energy of about 86 kJ/mol between 550 °C and 1000 °C. The apparent reaction order with respect to chlorine is about 1.23 at 800 °C. At temperatures lower than 650 °C, the shrinking sphere model is the most appropriate for describing the reaction kinetics. Oxychlorination of Cr₂O₃ is characterized by an apparent activation energy of about 87 and 46 kJ/mol for temperatures lower than 650 °C and higher than 700 °C, respectively. At 800 °C and using a Cl₂+O₂ gas mixture, the maximum reaction rate is obtained when the Cl₂/O₂ molar ratio is equal to 4, confirming the formation of chromium oxychloride. At this temperature, the reaction orders with respect to chlorine, oxygen, and Cl₂+O₂ are about 1.08, 0.23, and 1.29, respectively. Mathematical fitting of the experimental data is discussed.