NO reduction by CH4 in the presence of O2 over La2O3 supported on Al2O3

Dispersing La₂O₃ on δ- or γ-Al₂O₃ significantly enhances the rate of NO reduction by CH₄ in 1% O₂, compared to unsupported La₂O₃. Typically, no bend-over in activity occurs between 500° and 700°C, and the rate at 700°C is 60% higher than that with a Co/ZSM-5 catalyst. The final activity was dependent upon the La₂O₃ precursor used, the pretreatment, and the La₂O₃ loading. The most active family of catalysts consisted of La₂O₃ on γ-Al₂O₃ prepared with lanthanum acetate and calcined at 750°C for 10 h. A maximum in rate (mol/s/g) and specific activity (mol/s/m²) occurred between the addition of one and two theoretical monolayers of La₂O₃ on the γ-Al₂O₃ surface. The best catalyst, 40% La₂O₃/γ-Al₂O₃, had a turnover frequency at 700°C of 0.05 s⁻¹, based on NO chemisorption at 25°C, which was 15 times higher than that for Co/ZSM-5. These La₂O₃/Al₂O₃ catalysts exhibited stable activity under high conversion conditions as well as high CH₄ selectivity (CH₄ + NO vs. CH₄ + O₂). The addition of Sr to a 20% La₂O₃/γ-Al₂O₃ sample increased activity, and a maximum rate enhancement of 45% was obtained at a SrO loading of 5%. In contrast, addition of SO⁼₄ to the latter Sr-promoted La₂O₃/Al₂O₃ catalyst decreased activity although sulfate increased the activity of Sr-promoted La₂O₃. Dispersing La₂O₃ on SiO₂ produced catalysts with extremely low specific activities, and rates were even lower than with pure La₂O₃. This is presumably due to water sensitivity and silicate formation. The La₂O₃/Al₂O₃ catalysts are anticipated to show sufficient hydrothermal stability to allow their use in certain high-temperature applications.     

A study on the characteristics of the SO2 reduction using coal gas over SnO2-ZrO2 catalysts

SO₂, which is an air pollutant causing acid rain and smog, can be converted into elemental sulfur in direct sulfur recovery process (DSRP). SO₂ reduction was performed over catalyst in DSRP. In this study, SnO₂-ZrO₂ catalysts were prepared by a co-precipitation method, and CO and coal gas, which contains H₂, CO, CO₂ and H₂O, were used as reductants. The reactivity profile of the SO₂ reduction over the catalysts was investigated at the various reaction conditions as follows: reaction temperature of 300–550 °C, space velocity of 5000–30,000 cm³/g_-cat. h, [reductant]/[SO₂] molar ratio of 1.0–4.0 and Sn/Zr molar ratio of SnO₂-ZrO₂ catalysts 0/1, 2/8, 3/5, 5/5, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1 and 1/0. SnO₂-ZrO₂ (Sn/Zr = 2/1) catalyst showed the best performance for the SO₂ reduction in DSRP on the basis of our experimental results. The optimized reaction temperature and space velocity were 325 °C and 10,000 cm³/g_-cat. h, respectively. The optimal molar ratio of [reductant]/[SO₂] varied with the reductants, that is, 2.0 for CO and 2.5 for coal gas. SO₂ conversion of 98% and sulfur yield of 78% were achieved with the coal gas.     

Characterization and reactivity of pure TiO2–SO4 SCR catalyst: influence of SO4 content

The kinetics of the reaction of NO, N₂O and CO₂ with activated carbon without catalyst and impregnated with a precursor salt of vanadium (ammonium monovanadate) was investigated. The conversion of NO, N₂O and CO₂ was studied (450–900°C) using a TGA apparatus and a fixed bed reactor. The reactor effluents were analysed using a GC/MS on line. The addition of vanadium increased carbon reactivity and adsorption at lower temperatures. For NO and N₂O conversion the main products obtained were N₂, N₂O, CO and CO₂ but for CO₂ conversion only CO was detected. In situ XRD was a useful tool for interpreting catalyst behaviour and identifying phases present during reaction conditions. The catalytic effect of vanadium can be explained by the occurrence of redox processes in which the catalyst is reduced to lower oxidation states such as V₂O₅/V₆O₁₃.     

NO reduction by CH4 in the presence of excess O2 over Pd/sulfated zirconia catalysts

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by methane in the presence of excess oxygen has been studied on a series of Pd catalysts supported on sulfated zirconia (SZ). This support is not as sensitive to structural damage by steaming as the acidic zeolites, such as H-ZSM-5 and H-Mor. In previous studies, it was shown that this type of acidic zeolites are able to stabilize Pd²⁺ ions and promote high SCR activity and selectivity, which are typically not seen in Pd catalysts. In this contribution, it has been demonstrated that SZ is able to promote the NO reduction activity in a similar way to the acidic zeolites, by stabilizing Pd²⁺ ions that is selective for NO reduction. As in the case of acidic zeolites, the stabilization of Pd²⁺ ions can occur through a transfer of Pd species from particle to particle. One of the attractive features of Pd/SZ catalysts is that they are less sensitive to water and SO₂ poisoning than Pd/H-ZSM-5 catalyst and exhibit higher reversibility after removal of water or SO₂.     

The influence of sulphate on the catalytic properties of V2O5-TiO2 and WO3-TiO2 in the reduction of nitric oxide with ammonia

The effect of sulphate on the catalytic properties of V₂O₅/TiO₂ and WO₃/TiO₂ in the selective reduction of NO with NH₃ has been investigated. For both catalytic systems, the presence of sulphate results in the enhancement of catalytic activity without reduction of selectivity to nitrogen. The rate of NO reduction depends on the sulphate content, which is affected by the original composition of titania, the method of catalyst preparation and the metal oxide loading.     

Storage of NO2 on BaO/TiO2 and the influence of NO

The influence of NO on the adsorption and desorption of NO₂ on BaO/TiO₂ has been studied under lean conditions. The adsorption of NO₂ involves the disproportionation of NO₂ into an adsorbed nitrate species and NO released to the gas phase with a 3:1 ratio,

BaO+3NO₂→NO+Ba(NO₃)₂.

Three different nitrate species form on the catalyst: surface nitrates on the TiO₂ support, surface nitrates on BaO, and bulk barium nitrate. The stability of the three species in different gas feeds was investigated by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD).

The reverse reaction of the NO₂ disproportionation has also been observed. If NO is added to the feed, nitrates previously formed on the sorbent will decompose into NO₂. Therefore, the above chemical equation should be considered as an equilibrium reaction. Applying this finding to the NO_x storage and reduction catalyst means that NO probably reacts with the previously formed nitrates yielding NO₂ as an intermediate product. This NO₂ is subsequently reduced by the reducing agents (hydrocarbons and CO) present during the regeneration period.     

Catalytic reduction of NO by CO over NiO/CeO2 catalyst in stoichiometric NO/CO and NO/CO/O2 reaction

A new catalyst composed of nickel oxide and cerium oxide was studied with respect to its activity for NO reduction by CO under stoichiometric conditions in the absence as well as the presence of oxygen. Activity measurements of the NO/CO reaction were also conducted over NiO/γ-Al₂O₃, NiO/TiO₂, and NiO/CeO₂ catalysts for comparison purposes. The results showed that the conversion of NO and CO are dependent on the nature of supports, and the catalysts decreased in activity in the order of NiO/CeO₂ > NiO/γ-Al₂O₃ > NiO/TiO₂. Three kinds of CeO₂ were prepared and used as support for NiO. They are the CeO₂ prepared by (i) homogeneous precipitation (HP), (ii) precipitation (PC), and (iii) direct decomposition (DP) method. We found that the NiO/CeO₂(HP) catalyst was the most active, and complete conversion of NO and CO occurred at 210 °C at a space velocity of 120,000 h⁻¹. Based on the results of surface analysis, a reaction model for NO/CO interaction over NiO/CeO₂ has been proposed: (i) CO reduces surface oxygen to create vacant sites; (ii) on the vacant sites, NO dissociates to produce N₂; and (iii) the oxygen originated from NO dissociation is removed by CO.     

Catalytic properties in deNOx and SO2–SO3 reactions

SCR-deNO_x reaction and SO₂–SO₃ oxidation tests were carried out by different research groups over fresh and used EUROCAT oxide samples in order to characterize the reactivity of the catalysts and to compare data obtained in several laboratories (Politecnico of Milan, Università of Salerno, ENEL of Milan, Boreskov Insitute of Catalysis).

Data are presented which indicate that the used EUROCAT catalyst is slightly more active both in the deNO_x reaction and SO₂–SO₃ oxidation than the fresh sample.

An analyses of data collected over honeycomb catalysts by means of a 2D, single-channel model of the SCR monolith reactor has been performed to evaluate the intrinsic kinetic constant of the deNO_x reaction; a satisfactory comparison has been obtained between estimation of the intrinsic kinetic constant and estimation of the intrinsic catalyst activity from data collected over powdered catalysts. A good agreement has been found in the experimental results collected in the different labs, both for the deNO_x reaction and SO₂–SO₃ oxidation.     

Activity and characterization of Rh/Al2O3 and Rh-Na/Al2O3 catalysts for the SCR of NO with CO in the presence of SO2 and HCl

SO₂ and HCl are major pollutants emitted from waste incineration processes. Both pollutants are difficult to remove completely and can enter the catalytic reactor. In this work, the effects of SO₂ and HCl on the performance of Rh/Al₂O₃ and Rh-Na/Al₂O₃ catalysts for NO removal were investigated in simulated waste incineration conditions. The characterizations of the catalysts were analyzed by BET, SEM/EDS, XRD, and ESCA. Experimental results indicated the 1%Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst was significantly deactivated for NO and CO conversions when SO₂ and HCl coexisted in the flue gas. The addition of between 2 and 10 wt.% Na promoted the activity of the 1%Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst for NO removal, but decreased the CO oxidation and BET surface area. The catalytic activity for NO removal was inhibited by HCl as a result of the formation of RhCl₃. Adding Na to the Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst decreased the inhibition of SO₂ because of the formation of Na₂SO₄, which was observed in the XRD and ESCA analyses. SEM mapping/EDS showed that more S was residual on the surface of the Rh-Na/Al₂O₃ catalyst than Cl.     

NO reduction by CH4 in the presence of excess O2 over Mn/sulfated zirconia catalysts

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with methane in the presence of excess oxygen has been investigated over a series of Mn-loaded sulfated zirconia (SZ) catalysts. It was found that the Mn/SZ with a metal loading of 2–3 wt.% exhibited high activity for the NO reduction, and the maximum NO conversion over the Mn/SZ catalyst was higher than that over Mn/HZSM-5. NH₃–TPD results of the catalysts showed that the sulfation process of the supports resulted in the generation of strong acid sites, which is essential for the SCR of NO with methane. On the other hand, the N₂ adsorption and the H₂–TPR of the catalysts demonstrated that the presence of the SO₄²⁻ species promoted the dispersion of the metal species and made the Mn species less reducible. Such an increased dispersion of metal species suppressed the combustion reaction of CH₄ by O₂ and increased the selectivity towards NO. The Mn/SZ catalysts prepared by different methods exhibited similar activities in the SCR of NO with methane, indicating the importance of SO₄²⁻. The most attractive feature of the Mn/SZ catalysts was that they were more tolerant to water and SO₂ poisoning than Mn/HZSM-5 catalysts and exhibited higher reversibility after removal of SO₂.     

NO decomposition and reduction by C3H6 over transition metal oxides supported on MgF2

The monooxides copper, manganese, molybdenum and chromium catalysts supported on MgF₂ were tested in NO decomposition and reduction by propene. The effect of the oxides content, time on stream and O₂ concentration in reaction mixture during NO reduction on their catalytic activity was investigated. All the catalysts showed the optimum active phase concentration corresponding to 2–4 wt.% of the metal. For the best copper catalyst an effect of introduction of another oxide (manganese or chromium oxide) on the catalytic performance was studied. The double copper-manganese oxide sample containing 2 wt.% Cu and 4 wt.% Mn was proved to ensure the best catalytic performance.     

A new active zeolite structure for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides: ITQ7 zeolite: The influence of NO2 on this reaction

The activity of a new zeolite material, ITQ7, has been studied for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO. The pore topology of this material is similar to the structure of a beta zeolite, with a tridirectional system with 12-member rings. ITQ7 exchanged with copper or cobalt shows a catalytic behaviour very similar to a beta zeolite exchanged with copper or cobalt, probably due to its similar structure. The presence of oxygen, water, sulphur dioxide and NO₂ has been studied, obtaining the best results at low oxygen concentration and in the absence of water and SO₂. Nevertheless if NO₂ is present in the reaction mixture, the maximum activity of the catalyst shifts towards higher oxygen concentration.     

The catalytic activity of FeOx/ZrO2 for the abatement of NO with propene in the presence of O2

FeO_x/ZrO₂ samples, prepared by impregnation with Fe(NO₃)₃, were characterised by means of DRS, XRD, FTIR, redox cycles and volumetric CO adsorption. Volumetric CO adsorption, combined with FTIR, showed that 45% of iron in the sample containing 2.8 Fe atoms nm⁻² was capable of forming iron carbonyls. DRS evidenced Fe₂O₃ on samples with Fe-content≥2.8 atoms nm⁻². The selective catalytic reduction of NO with C₃H₆ in the presence of O₂ was studied with a reactant mixture containing NO=4000 ppm, C₃H₆=4000 ppm, O₂=2%. The dependence on iron-content suggests that only isolated iron, prevailing in dilute FeO_x/ZrO₂, is active for NO reduction, whereas iron on the surface of small oxide particles, prevailing in concentrated FeO_x/ZrO₂, is active for C₃H₆ combustion.     

The effect of Fe on the catalytic behavior of model Pd-Rh/CeO2-Al2O3 three-way catalyst

The present work attempts to address the issue whether iron (Fe) which is accumulated on the surface of “three-way” catalysts (TWCs) used in gasoline-driven cars is a true chemical poison of their catalytic activity. This important issue from a scientific and technological point of view is addressed via catalytic activity, temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements over a model TWC (1 wt% Pd–Rh/20 wt% CeO₂–Al₂O₃). It was found that deposition of Fe up to the level of 0.4 wt% (an average concentration found in aged commercial TWCs) on the model TWC does not deteriorate its activity towards CO and C₃H₆ oxidation, and reduction of NO by H₂. Instead it was found that iron improves significantly the T₅₀ parameter in the activity versus temperature profile. Small Fe clusters in contact with the noble metal (Pd and Rh) particles due to the lower work function of Fe compared to Pd and Rh act likely as a source of electron flow towards the noble metals (as evidenced by XPS measurements), thus altering their surface work function and adsorption energetics of reaction intermediates. The latter have increased significantly the activity of the model TWC towards oxidation of CO and propylene, and to a lesser extent the activity towards the reduction of NO by H₂. The presence of Fe on the surface of the model TWC provided and/or created also new active catalytic sites for the reactions investigated. According to previous work from this laboratory, iron up to the level of 0.4 wt% was shown not to deteriorate the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of the same model TWC used in the present work. Thus, it could be concluded that Fe when deposited on a commercial TWC at least up to the level of 0.4 wt% acts likely as a promoter than a poison of its catalytic activity.     

Low-temperature H2-SCR of NO on a novel Pt/MgO-CeO2 catalyst

The selective catalytic reduction of NO by H₂ under strongly oxidizing conditions (H₂-SCR) in the low-temperature range of 100–200 °C has been studied over Pt supported on a series of metal oxides (e.g., La₂O₃, MgO, Y₂O₃, CaO, CeO₂, TiO₂, SiO₂ and MgO-CeO₂). The Pt/MgO and Pt/CeO₂ solids showed the best catalytic behavior with respect to N₂ yield and the widest temperature window of operation compared with the other single metal oxide-supported Pt solids. An optimum 50 wt% MgO-50wt% CeO₂ support composition and 0.3 wt% Pt loading (in the 0.1–2.0 wt% range) were found in terms of specific reaction rate of N₂ production (mols N₂/g_cat s). High NO conversions (70–95%) and N₂ selectivities (80–85%) were also obtained in the 100–200 °C range at a GHSV of 80,000 h⁻¹ with the lowest 0.1 wt% Pt loading and using a feed stream of 0.25 vol% NO, 1 vol% H₂, 5 vol% O₂ and He as balance gas. Addition of 5 vol% H₂O in the latter feed stream had a positive influence on the catalytic performance and practically no effect on the stability of the 0.1 wt% Pt/MgO-CeO₂ during 24 h on reaction stream. Moreover, the latter catalytic system exhibited a high stability in the presence of 25–40 ppm SO₂ in the feed stream following a given support pretreatment. N₂ selectivity values in the 80–85% range were obtained over the 0.1 wt% Pt/MgO-CeO₂ catalyst in the 100–200 °C range in the presence of water and SO₂ in the feed stream. The above-mentioned results led to the obtainment of patents for the commercial exploitation of Pt/MgO-CeO₂ catalyst towards a new NO_x control technology in the low-temperature range of 100–200 °C using H₂ as reducing agent. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of NO, and transient titration of the adsorbed surface intermediate NO_x species with H₂ experiments, following reaction, have revealed important information towards the understanding of basic mechanistic issues of the present catalytic system (e.g., surface coverage, number and location of active NO_x intermediate species, NO_x spillover).     

A comparative study of Ag/Al2O3 and Cu/Al2O3 catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of NO by C3H6

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by C₃H₆ in excess oxygen was evaluated and compared over Ag/Al₂O₃ and Cu/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Ag/Al₂O₃ showed a high activity for NO reduction. However, Cu/Al₂O₃ showed a high activity for C₃H₆ oxidation. The partial oxidation of C₃H₆ gave surface enolic species and acetate species on the Ag/Al₂O₃, but only an acetate species was clearly observed on the Cu/Al₂O₃. The enolic species is a more active intermediate towards NO + O₂ to yield—NCO species than the acetate species on the Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst. The Ag and Cu metal loadings and phase changes on Al₂O₃ support can affect the activity and selectivity of Ag/Al₂O₃ and Cu/Al₂O₃ catalysts, but the formation of enolic species is the main reason why the activity of the Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst for NO reduction is higher than that of the Cu/Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

Reactivity of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts in the selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide by ammonia

The physico-chemical characteristics and the reactivity of sub-monolayer V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ deNO_x catalysts is investigated in this work by EPR, FT-IR and reactivity tests under transient conditions. EPR indicates that tetravalent vanadium ions both in magnetically isolated form and in clustered, magnetically interacting form are present over the TiO₂ surface. The presence of tungsten oxide stabilizes the surface V^IV and modifies the redox properties of V₂O₅/TiO₂ samples. Ammonia adsorbs on the catalysts surface in the form of molecularly coordinated species and of ammonium ions. Upon heating, activation of ammonia via an amide species is apparent. V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts exhibits higher activity than the binary V₂O₅/TiO₂ and WO₃/TiO₂ reference sample. This is related to both higher redox properties and higher surface acidity of the ternary catalysts. Results suggest that the catalyst redox properties control the reactivity of the samples at low temperatures whereas the surface acidity plays an important role in the adsorption and activation of ammonia at high temperatures.     

The mechanism of SO2 effect on NO reduction with propene over In2O3/Al2O3 catalyst

An In₂O₃/Al₂O₃ catalyst shows high activity for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with propene in the presence of oxygen. The presence of SO₂ in feed gas suppressed the catalytic activity dramatically at high temperatures; however it was enhanced in the low temperature range of 473–573 K. In TPD and FT-IR studies, the formation of sulfate species on the surface of the catalyst caused an inhibition of NO_X adsorption sites, and the absorbance ability of NO was suppressed by the presence of SO₂, and the amount of ad-NO₃⁻ species decreased obviously. This leads to a decrease of catalytic activity at higher temperatures. However, addition of SO₂ enhanced the formation of carboxylate and formate species, which can explain the promotional effect of SO₂ at low temperature, because active C₃H₆ (partially oxidized C₃H₆) is crucial at low temperature.     

Effectiveness of SO2 sorbents by thermogravimetry-combustion with coal

A new experimental method is described for non-isothermal thermogravimetry (TG) involving combustion of mixtures of sieved coal with sieved calcium-containing sorbents. This rapid TG method utilizes a baseline for TG combustion of coal alone, derives an equation that gives a semi-quantitative measure (±10% repeatability) of the coal's reactive sulphur retained by the sorbent, the extent of retention of S0₂ generated in situ during combustion varying with different sorbents. The method permits direct variation in separate experiments of the calcium-to-sulphur ratio during combustion and relative ranking of different sorbents by retention of reactive sulphur in combustion. Relative rankings are presented for three pre-calcined natural stones (two limestones and one dolomite); these results correlate with relative rankings from another TG method reported in the literature. It is suggested that this new method is useful for pre-screening the effectiveness of S0₂ sorbents considered for use in fluidizedbed combustion of coal.     

The characteristics of a copper-exchanged natural zeolite for NO reduction by NH3 and C3H6

The catalytic performance of the natural zeolite mined from Youngil, Korea was investigated when two types of reductant such as NH₃ and hydrocarbons were employed for the reduction of NO. The determination of the structure of the natural zeolite has also been made to identify the type of zeolite and to examine its use as a catalytic material for NO removal reaction. The elementary analysis and electron probe microanalysis of the zeolite revealed that it typically consisted of an aluminosilicate. Although it mainly contains mordenite-type zeolite, heulandite was also included as well as the phases of quartz and feldspar as an impurity in the zeolite. This result could be also confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. It should be noted that the acid treatment of the natural zeolite for its use as a catalytic material is essential for the high performance of NO reduction by selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. Copper ion-exchanged natural zeolite catalyst (CuNZA) exhibits a competitive NO reducing activity for the reduction of NO by NH₃ as well as hydrocarbons. It can be regarded as a promising catalytic system by NH₃ and hydrocarbons for the removal of NO_x from stationary and mobile sources.