Catalytic degradation of ethylene oxide over Ag/α-Al₂O₃

Ethylene oxide (EO) degradation over Ag/α-Al₂O₃ catalysts involves bifunctional pathways, whereby α-Al₂O₃ surfaces catalyze hydration, isomerization, dimerization, and oxidation while Ag surfaces facilitate combustion and isomerization of ethylene oxide. EO degradation reactions run over Ag/α-Al₂O₃, α-Al₂O₃, and intrapellet mixtures thereof with co-feeds of O₂ and oxygenate products show that Ag surfaces are more reactive than α-Al₂O₃ and that oxygenate products generated over α-Al₂O₃ combust over Ag much more (>30x) readily than EO. These observations suggest that additives which mitigate surface hydration of α-Al₂O₃ and combustion activity of Ag will most effectively mitigate EO degradation.