USE OF NONEQUILIBRIUM PHASE DIAGRAMS TO INVESTIGATE CARBON FORMATION FROM MULTICOMPONENT GAS MIXTURES OVER TRANSITION METALS.

At high temperatures if carbon bearing gases come in contact with transition metals or their alloys, carbon deposition often results. Over the past several decades carbon deposition has been a major problem for both transition metal based catalysis and materials of construction. For several years work has progressed on using the control of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon gas phase activities to control solid composition. This work is for the transition metal iron exposed to H//2, CO, CO//2, CH//4 and H//2O. The data presented are at high temperatures to eliminate the possibility of surface enrichment.