Influence of the reaction conditions on the electrochemical promotion by potassium for the selective catalytic reduction of N2O by C3H6 on platinum

In this work, we have investigated for the first time the selective catalytic reduction of N₂O by C₃H₆ over an electrochemical catalyst (Pt/K-βAl₂O₃). It was evaluated the influence of the reaction conditions (temperature, oxygen concentration, water vapour presence and time on stream treatment under reaction conditions) on the catalytic performance of the electrochemical catalyst. Electrochemical pumping of potassium ions to the Pt catalyst working electrode strongly increased the N₂O reduction rate, activating the catalyst at lower temperatures. However, it was found that the efficiency of the electrochemical promotion decreased as the oxygen concentration increased because of a strong inhibition of propene adsorption and a relative increase of the oxygen coverage. On the contrary, the presence of potassium ions on the Pt catalyst strongly decreased the inhibiting effect of water vapour, increasing the catalytic activity of the catalyst. In addition, the catalyst stability was confirmed by a deactivation study. It was found that a long term treatment at high temperature under operating conditions had a positive effect on the efficiency of the Pt/K-βAl₂O₃ electrochemical catalyst.     

Deactivation of V2O5-WO3-TiO2 SCR catalyst at a biomass-fired combined heat and power plant

The deactivation of a commercial type V₂O₅-WO₃-TiO₂ monolith catalyst under biomass combustion was studied at a full-scale grate-fired power plant burning straw/wood using a slip stream pilot scale reactor. The aerosols in the flue gas consisted of a mixture of potassium chloride and sulphate. Three catalyst elements were exposed at 350 °C, and one element was exposed at 250 °C for comparison. The catalyst activity was measured in the reactor at the exposure temperature by addition of NH₃ and extra NO. The activity, in terms of a first-order rate constant, dropped by 52% after about 1140 h indicating a very fast deactivation compared to coal firing. It was also found that the reactor temperature was not of importance for the deactivation rate. SEM-EDX analysis showed that particle deposition and pore blocking contributed to the deactivation by decreasing the diffusion rate of NO and NH₃ into the catalyst. However, potassium also penetrated into the catalyst wall and the resulting average K/V ratio in the catalyst structure was high enough (about 0.3–0.5) for a significant chemical deactivation. Chemisorption studies carried out in situ showed that the amount of chemisorbed NH₃ on the catalyst decreased as a function of exposure time, which reveals that Brøndsted acid sites had reacted with potassium compounds and thereby rendered inactive. When washed by 0.5 M H₂SO₄ the regenerated catalyst regains a higher activity than that of the fresh catalyst at temperatures higher than 300 °C, but even though reactivation is possible, the deactivation rate appears too high for practical use of the SCR process in straw combustion.     

Methane partial oxidation over NiO-MgO/Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 catalysts

Methane partial oxidation (MPO) is considered as an alternative method to produce hydrogen because it is an exothermic reaction to afford a suitable H₂/CO ratio of 2. However, carbon deposition on a catalyst is observed as a major cause of catalyst deactivation in MPO. In order to find suitable catalysts that prevent the carbon deposition, NiO-MgO/Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ (CZO) supported catalysts were prepared via the co-impregnation (C) and sequential incipient wetness impregnation (S) methods. The amount of Ni loading was fixed at 15 wt-% whereas the amount of MgO loading was varied from 5 to 15 wt-%. The results revealed that the addition of MgO shifted the light-off temperatures to higher temperatures. This is because the Ni surface was partially covered with MgO, and the strong interaction between NiO and NiMgO₂ over CZO support led to the difficulty in reducing NiO to active Ni⁰ and thus less catalytic activity. However, among the catalysts tested, the 15Ni5Mg/CZO (S) catalyst exhibited the best catalytic stability for MPO after 18 h on stream at 750°C. Moreover, this catalyst had a better resistance to carbon deposition due to its high metallic Ni dispersion at high temperature.     

K2CO3/γ-A12O3催化剂在棉籽油制备生物柴油中的应用

利用等体积浸渍法制备K₂CO₃/γ-A1₂O₃负载型固体碱催化剂,应用于棉籽油和甲醇酯交换反应制备生物柴油。对催化剂使用前的保存条件、水分、重复使用性能、游离脂肪酸影响以及失活和再生进行了分析。结果表明,固体催化剂K₂CO₃/γ-Al₂O₃具有较好的抗水性,酸度对催化剂影响明显,重复使用4次未经活化的催化剂,催化活性明显降低,催化剂应密封保存。K₂CO₃/γ-A1₂O₃负载型固体碱催化剂经济实惠且催化效果良好。     

Deactivation of copper-ion-exchanged hydrogen-mordenite-type zeolite catalyst by SO2 for no reduction by NH3

Deactivation of copper-ion-exchanged hydrogen-mordenite-type zeolite catalyst by SO₂ for NO reduction by NH₃ was examined in a fixed-bed flow reactor. The deactivation of the catalyst was strongly dependent on reaction temperature. At high reaction temperatures over 300°C, the catalyst did not lose its initial activity up to 50 h of operation, regardless of SO₂ feed concentration from 500 to 20,000 ppm. However, at low reaction temperatures near 250°C, apparent deactivation did occur. Changes in the physicochemical properties such as surface area and sulfur content of deactivated catalyst well correlated with catalyst activity, depending upon reaction temperatures. The deactivation was due to pore blocking and/or filling by deactivating agents, which plugged and/or filled the pores of catalyst. The deactivating agents deposited on the catalyst surface were presumed to be (NH₄)₂SO₄ and/or (NH₄)HSO₄ from the results of TGA and ion-chromatography measurement.     

Catalytic NO reduction with ammonia at low temperatures on V2O5/AC catalysts: effect of metal oxides addition and SO2

The catalytic behavior of the V-M/AC (M=W, Mo, Zr, and Sn) catalysts were studied for the NO reduction with ammonia at low temperatures, especially in the presence of SO₂. The presence of the metal oxides does not increase the V₂O₅/AC activity but decreases it. Except V-Mo/AC, the other catalysts are promoted by SO₂ at 250°C, especially for V-Sn/AC. However, the promoting effect of SO₂ is gradually depressed by catalyst deactivation. Changes in catalyst preparation method can improve the catalyst stability in short-term but cannot completely prevent the catalyst from a long-term deactivation. Mechanisms of the promoting effect and the deactivation of V-Sn/AC catalyst by SO₂ were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra and measurement of catalyst surface area and pore volume. The results showed that both the SO₂ promotion and deactivation are associated with the formation of sulfate species on the catalyst surface. In the initial period of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction in the presence of SO₂, the formed sulfate species provide new acid sites to enhance ammonia adsorption and thus the catalytic activity. However, as the SCR reaction proceeds, excess amount of sulfate species and then ammonium-sulfate salts are formed which is stabilized by the presence of tin oxide, resulting in gradual plugging of the pore structures and the catalyst deactivation.     

An investigation of the thermal stability and sulphur tolerance of Ag/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for the SCR of NOx with hydrocarbons and hydrogen

The sulphur tolerance and thermal stability of a 2 wt% Ag/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst was investigated for the H₂-promoted SCR of NO_x with octane and toluene. The aged catalyst was characterised by XRD and EXAFS analysis. It was found that the effect of ageing was a function of the gas mix and temperature of ageing. At high temperatures (800 °C) the catalyst deactivated regardless of the reaction mix. EXAFS analysis showed that this was associated with the Ag particles on the surface of the catalyst becoming more ordered. At 600 and 700 °C, the deactivating effect of ageing was much less pronounced for the catalyst in the H₂-promoted octane-SCR reaction and ageing at 600 °C resulted in an enhancement in activity for the reaction in the absence of H₂. For the toluene + H₂-SCR reaction the catalyst deactivated at each ageing temperature. The effect of addition of low levels of sulphur (1 ppm SO₂) to the feed was very much dependent on the reaction temperature. There was little deactivation of the catalyst at low temperatures (≤235 °C), severe deactivation at intermediate temperatures (305 and 400 °C) and activation of the catalyst at high temperatures (>500 °C). The results can be explained by the activity of the catalyst for the oxidation of SO₂ to SO₃ and the relative stability of silver and aluminium sulphates. The catalyst could be almost fully regenerated by a combination of heating and the presence of hydrogen in the regeneration mix. The catalyst could not be regenerated in the absence of hydrogen.     

Cooperative action of cobalt and MgO for the catalysed reforming of CH4 with CO2

The reforming of CH₄ with CO₂ over activated carbon- or silica-supported cobalt catalysts with and without added MgO as promoter has been studied over a range of temperatures (500–700°C). A significant effect of the MgO on catalyst efficiency was observed. The presence of MgO markedly reduces the carbon deposition on the surface of the catalyst and therefore, contributes to the stability of the catalyst. Based on temperature-programmed surface reaction experiments of chemisorbed CO₂, the role of MgO may be ascribed to the formation of strongly adsorbed CO₂ species over its surface. These CO₂ species can easily react with the surface carbon deposits under CO₂-reforming reaction conditions, preventing in this way catalyst deactivation.     

Stability of catalytic foam diesel-soot filters based on Cs2O, MoO3, and Cs2SO4 molten-salt catalysts

The durability of catalytic alumina and zirconia-toughened mullite ceramic foam diesel-soot filters was tested by exposing them to severe, artificial exhaust conditions. The catalytic performance, composition, and mechanical strength were constantly monitored. It was concluded that the mechanical strength of the catalytic filters may be reduced by an interaction of the catalyst with certain compounds of ceramic filters. In practice, it should be possible to minimize the effect by carefully controlling the composition of the ceramic filter. For instance, the presence of phosphorous in alumina-based filters support should be avoided. The stability of the current catalyst phases, based on Cs₂O, MoO₃, and Cs₂SO₄, is too low for application. Due to partial evaporation, emission of catalyst compounds into the environment is likely and when that happens significant deactivation of the catalytic phase is unavoidable. The catalyst was also found to be soluble in water, which might be disastrous in the case of condensation occurring in the exhaust pipe.     

Causes of deactivation and regeneration of an industrial Pt-NiO/Al2O3 nitrogen oxides reduction catalyst

The deactivation mechanism and regeneration of spent industrial Pt-NiO/Al₂O₃ catalysts used for NO_x reduction was studied by means of SEM-EDS, chemical analysis and kinetic measurements. It was found that the main cause of deactivation under industrial operating conditions is fouling due to carbonaceous and ZnO deposits. Various contaminant removal procedures (calcination, wet screening and acetic acid leaching) were tested and the influence of these procedures on contaminant removal and the catalyst activity were investigated. Regeneration of the spent industrial catalyst using inexpensive processes was shown to be feasible.     

Characterization of Ni---W/A12O3-SiO2 aromatics saturation catalysts used in a one-year commercial HDS run

A series of Ni---W/A1₂O₃-SiO₂ catalysts with different A1₂O₃/SiO₂ ratios were prepared and loaded in a commercial HDS unit for a year. The catalytic properties of the freshly sulfided and spent catalysts were investigated by performing structural analyses and model test reactions. The aggregation of the WS₂ slabs in the lateral direction, which was observed by EXAFS and TEM, was a major cause of the catalyst deactivation. The addition of SiO₂ into the catalyst support was found to suppress the structural changes of the catalyst.     

Phenol oxidation over CuO/Al2O3 in supercritical water

Phenol was oxidized in supercritical water at 380–450°C and 219–300 atm, using CuO/Al₂O₃ as a catalyst in a packed-bed flow reactor. The CuO catalyst has the desired effects of accelerating the phenol disappearance and CO₂ formation rates relative to non-catalytic supercritical water oxidation (SCWO). It also simultaneously reduced the yield of undesired phenol dimers at a given phenol conversion. The rates of phenol disappearance and CO₂ formation are sensitive to the phenol and O₂ concentrations, but insensitive to the water density. A dual-site Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson rate law used previously for catalytic SCWO of phenol over other transition metal oxides and the Mars–van Krevelen rate law can correlate the catalytic kinetics for phenol disappearance over CuO. The supported CuO catalyst exhibited a higher activity, on a mass of catalyst basis, for phenol disappearance and CO₂ formation than did bulk MnO₂ or bulk TiO₂. The CuO catalyst had the lowest activity, however, when expressed on the basis of fresh catalyst surface area. The CuO catalyst exhibited some initial deactivation, but otherwise maintained its activity throughout 100 h of continuous use. Both Cu and Al were detected in the reactor effluent, however, which indicates the dissolution or erosion of the catalyst at reaction conditions.     

Reactivation of sulphated Pt/Al2O3 catalysts by reductive treatment in the simultaneous oxidation of CO and C3H6

A Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst prepared by incipient wetness impregnation was used as a diesel oxidation model catalyst and tested in the simultaneous total oxidation of CO and C₃H₆. Sulphur incorporation by wet impregnation results in deactivation of the Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst in both oxidation reactions. Characterization of the catalysts by evolved gas analysis by mass spectrometry (EGA-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), isotherm of adsorbed nitrogen, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy of probe molecules (pyridine and carbon monoxide) and finally temperature-programmed surface reaction (O₂-TPSR of chemisorbed CO) demonstrated that the formation of aluminium sulphate modifies the acidic properties of the support and the electronic properties of the platinum particles. Thus, new Brønsted acid sites are formed and, moreover, the capacity of the Pt particles to chemisorb CO and O₂, the latter as strongly chemisorbed O species, is seriously deteriorated. The alteration of the electronic properties of the particles (they become electronically deficient) is related to the modification of the acidic properties of the support. Treatment of the deactivated catalysts by a reductive treatment at 873 K resulted in the removal of the sulphur due to decomposition of the aluminium sulphate. Thus, the original acidic properties of the support and the electronic properties of the Pt particles were largely recovered and a high degree of catalytic reactivation was achieved.     

Deactivation of palladium catalyst in catalytic combustion of methane

Catalytic combustion of natural gas, for applications such as gas turbines, can reduce NO_x emissions. Palladium-on-stabilised alumina has been found to be the most efficient catalyst for the complete oxidation of methane to carbon dioxide and water. However, its poor durability is considered to be an obstruction for the development of catalytic combustion. This work was aimed at identifying the origin of this deactivation: metal sintering, support sintering, transformation or coking.

Catalytic combustion of methane was studied in a 15 mm i.d. and 50 mm length lab reactor and in a 25 mm i.d. pilot test rig on monolithic honeycomb substrates. Experiments were performed at GHSV of 50 000 h⁻¹ in lab test and 500 000 h⁻¹ in pilot test. The catalysts used were palladium on different supports on cordierite substrate. The catalysts were characterised by XRD, STEM, ATG and XPS.

In steady-state conditions, deactivation has been found to be dependent on the air/methane ratio, the palladium content on the washcoat and the amount of washcoat on the substrate. An oscillating behaviour of the methane conversion was even observed under specific conditions, due to the reducibility of palladium oxide PdO to Pd. The influence of the nature of the support on the catalyst deactivation was also investigated. It has been shown that some supports can surprisingly eliminate this oscillating behaviour. However, in pilot test, deactivation was found to be very rapid, even with stabilised alumina supports. Furthermore, successive tests performed on the same catalyst revealed that the activity (light-off temperature, conversion) falls strongly from one test to another.

Then, the stabilised alumina support was calcined at 1230°C for 16 h prior to its impregnation by palladium, in order to rule out its sintering. Experiments carried out on precalcined catalysts point out that deactivation is mostly correlated to the metal transformation under reaction conditions: activity decreases gradually as PdO sinters, but it dropped much more steeply in relation to appearance of metallic palladium.     

ZrOCl_2-H_2SO_4/γ-Al_2O_3催化剂的制备及对1-丁烯齐聚反应的催化性能

以γ-Al_2O_3为载体,负载Zr OCl_2和H_2SO_4制备Zr OCl_2-H_2SO_4/γ-Al_2O_3催化剂,并用于1-丁烯齐聚反应。采用气相色谱在线分析,确定产物组成,考察制备条件对催化剂催化活性的影响,通过1-丁烯转化率和主产物选择性确定适宜的反应条件。结果表明,在Zr OCl_2和H_2SO_4负载质量分数为4.5%和焙烧温度500℃条件下制备的催化剂,在反应温度140℃、1-丁烯液时空速2 h-1和N2分压1.4 MPa条件下,表现出较好的催化活性,1-丁烯转化率96.77%,产物以二聚体(C8)为主,选择性85.99%。该催化剂失活后容易再生,且催化活性良好,1-丁烯转化率92.73%,C8选择性86.73%。     

EPR spectroscopic characterization of DeNOx and SO2 oxidation catalysts and model systems

The industrial SO₂ oxidation catalyst VK69 deactivates at around 440°C in a 10% SO₂, 11% O₂, 79% N₂ gas mixture. In situ EPR measurements show that the deactivation is caused by the precipitation of V(IV) compounds. DeNO_x catalysts based on V₂O₅/TiO₂, the TiO₂ support, analytical grade anatase and transition metal-exchanged Al-PILCs (pillared clay) have been characterized by EPR spectroscopy and the catalytic activity of the catalysts monitored up to 500°C. Depending on the exchanged metal ion, a relatively large temperature range for the catalytic activity towards the SCR reaction was observed.     

Reactivity of steam in exhaust gas catalysis III. Steam and oxygen/steam conversions of propane on a Pd/Al2O3 catalyst

A 1% Pd catalyst (38% dispersion) was prepared by impregnating a γ-alumina with palladium acetylacetonate dissolved in acetone. The behaviour of this catalyst in oxidation and steam reforming (SR) of propane was investigated. Temperature-programmed reactions of C₃H₈ with O₂ or with O₂ + H₂O were carried out with different stoichiometric ratios S(S =[O₂]/5[C₃H₈]). The conversion profiles of C₃H₈ for the reaction carried out in substoichiometry of O₂ (S < 1) showed two discrete domains of conversion: oxidation at temperatures below 350°C and SR at temperatures above 350°C. The presence of steam in the inlet gases is not necessary for SR to occur: there is sufficient water produced in the oxidation to form H₂ and carbon oxides by this reaction. Contrary to what was observed with Pt, an apparent deactivation between 310 and 385°C could be observed with Pd in oxidation. This is due to a reduction of PdO_x into Pd⁰, which is much less active than the oxide in propane oxidation. Steam added to the reactants inhibits oxidation while it prevents the reduction of PdO_x into Pd⁰. Compared to Pt and to Rh, Pd has a higher thermal resistance: no deactivation occurred after treatment up to 700°C and limited deactivation after treatment up to 900°C, provided that the catalyst is maintained in an oxygen-rich atmosphere during the cooling.     

Control of the product ratio of CO2/(CO+CO2) and inhibition of catalyst deactivation for steam reforming of gasoline to produce hydrogen

Factors controlling the product ratio of CO₂/(CO+CO₂) and methods for inhibiting deactivation of catalyst for steam reforming of gasoline were studied. Syngas (H₂+CO) as major product was produced on Ni-Mo/Al₂O₃ and the major product on Ni-Re/Al₂O₃ was H₂ and CO₂ at the same reaction conditions. Hydrogen with a high CO₂/(CO+CO₂) ratio of about 92% was produced by coupling reaction of steam reforming and water gas shift on Ni-Re/Al₂O₃ catalyst at 805 K. The multifunctional activity of the bimetallic catalyst of Ni-Re/Al₂O₃ and the suitable reaction temperature were of crucial significance for the coupling reaction. Although no deactivation could be observed on both Ni-Mo/Al₂O₃ and Ni-Re/Al₂O₃ catalysts for steam reforming of sulfur-free fuels in about 200 h of time on stream, the activity and sulfur-tolerance of Ni-Re/Al₂O₃ was much better than the values of Ni-Mo/Al₂O₃ for steam reforming of sulfur-containing fuels because of the unique role of rhenium in the Ni-Re catalyst. The unique role of rhenium in Ni-Re catalyst was mainly because of alloying of rhenium with nickel to form bimetallic Ni-Re sites and interaction of rhenium with sulfur to form S-Re binds. The sulfur-tolerance of Ni-Re/Al₂O₃ for steam reforming of sulfur-containing gasoline was improved further by addition of a small amount of ZSM-5. The activity and sulfur-tolerance of Ni-Mo/Al₂O₃ was also enhanced by the addition of ZSM-5.     

Sulphur dioxide interaction with NOx storage catalysts

The effect of SO₂ on the NO_x storage capacity and oxidation and reduction activities of a model Pt/Rh/BaO/Al₂O₃ NO_x storage catalyst was investigated. Addition of 2.5, 7.5 or 25 vol. ppm SO₂ to a synthetic lean exhaust gas caused deactivation of the NO_x storage function, the oxidation activity and the reduction activity of the catalyst. The degree of deactivation of the NO_x storage capacity was found to be proportional to the total SO₂ dose that the catalyst had been exposed to. SO₂ was found to be accumulated in the catalyst as sulphate.     

磷钨酸铈催化合成棕榈酸和硬脂酸混合酸甲酯

采用磷钨酸铈作为催化剂,在反应温度67 ℃合成棕榈酸和硬脂酸混合酸甲酯反应,研究酸醇物质的量比、催化剂用量和反应时间对酯化反应的影响,并在最佳反应条件基础上研究催化剂的循环利用工艺。结果表明,在酸醇物质的量比1∶10、催化剂用量为棕榈酸和硬脂酸混合酸质量的8%、反应时间4 h和催化剂重结晶后循环利用10次条件下,棕榈酸和硬脂酸混合酸转化率均≥96.0%,催化剂反应前后的IR和XRD表征发现,催化剂均为Keggin型结构,未发生变化,表现出良好的催化活性。