N2O catalytic decomposition over various spinel-type oxides

Various spinel-type catalysts AB₂O₄ (where A = Mg, Ca, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cr, Fe, Zn and B = Cr, Fe, Co) were prepared and characterized by XRD, BET, TEM and FESEM-EDS. The performance of these catalysts towards the decomposition of N₂O to N₂ and O₂ was evaluated in a temperature programmed reaction (TPR) apparatus in the absence and the presence of oxygen. Spinel-type oxides containing Co at the B site were found to provide the best activity. The half conversion temperature of nitrous oxide over the MgCo₂O₄ catalyst was 440 °C and 470 °C in the absence and presence of oxygen, respectively (GHSV = 80,000 h⁻¹).

On the grounds of temperature programmed oxygen desorption (TPD) analyses as well as of reactive runs, the prevalent activity of the MgCo₂O₄ catalyst could be explained by its higher concentration of suprafacial, weakly chemisorbed oxygen species, whose related vacancies contribute actively to nitrous oxide catalytic decomposition. This indicates the way for the development of new, more active catalysts, possibly capable of delivering at low temperatures amounts of these oxygen species even higher than those characteristic of MgCo₂O₄.     

Catalytic performance of Co3O4/CeO2 and Co3O4/CeO2–ZrO2 composite oxides for methane combustion: Influence of catalyst pretreatment temperature and oxygen concentration in the reaction mixture

The influence of catalyst pre-treatment temperature (650 and 750 °C) and oxygen concentration (λ = 8 and 1) on the light-off temperature of methane combustion has been investigated over two composite oxides, Co₃O₄/CeO₂ and Co₃O₄/CeO₂–ZrO₂ containing 30 wt.% of Co₃O₄. The catalytic materials prepared by the co-precipitation method were calcined at 650 °C for 5 h (fresh samples); a portion of them was further treated at 750 °C for 7 h, in a furnace in static air (aged samples).

Tests of methane combustion were carried out on fresh and aged catalysts at two different WHSV values (12 000 and 60 000 mL g⁻¹ h⁻¹). The catalytic performance of Co₃O₄/CeO₂ and Co₃O₄/CeO₂–ZrO₂ were compared with those of two pure Co₃O₄ oxides, a sample obtained by the precipitation method and a commercial reference. Characterization studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) show that the catalytic activity is related to the dispersion of crystalline phases, Co₃O₄/CeO₂ and Co₃O₄/CeO₂–ZrO₂ as well as to their reducibility. Particular attention was paid to the thermal stability of the Co₃O₄ phase in the temperature range of 750–800 °C, in both static (in a furnace) and dynamic conditions (continuous flow). The results indicate that the thermal stability of the phase Co₃O₄ heated up to 800 °C depends on the size of the cobalt oxide crystallites (fresh or aged samples) and on the oxygen content (excess λ = 8, stoichiometric λ = 1) in the reaction mixture. A stabilizing effect due to the presence of ceria or ceria–zirconia against Co₃O₄ decomposition into CoO was observed.

Moreover, the role of ceria and ceria–zirconia is to maintain a good combustion activity of the cobalt composite oxides by dispersing the active phase Co₃O₄ and by promoting the reduction at low temperature.     

The characterization of the V species and the identification of the promoting effect of dopants in V/Ti/O catalysts for o-xylene oxidation

The present work deals with the study of the role of promoters in TiO₂-supported vanadium oxide, catalyst for the oxidation of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride. Two different series of catalysts were prepared, the first one consisting of undoped samples having different vanadium oxide content, and the second one of samples having 7 wt.% V₂O₅ and variable amounts of Sb and Cs as promoters. All the samples were characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal-programmed reduction and oxidation, in order to define a method for the quantification of the different V species (i.e., isolated vanadium, dispersed polyvanadate and bulk vanadium oxide) that develop on TiO₂ support in the presence of promoters. It was found that polyvanadate and bulk vanadium oxide spontaneously release molecular oxygen at 600–650 °C, whereas the isolated V is not susceptible of self-reduction. The latter species is predominant in samples having low vanadium oxide loading (≤2 wt.% V₂O₅, with TiO₂ surface area 22.5 m²/g), and possesses the highest intrinsic activity in o-xylene conversion. The presence of Sb, a promoter of activity, increases the dispersion of the most active species and also hinders its segregation in the reaction environment. These promoting effects are more pronounced when both Cs and Sb are present.     

A novel carbon-supported vanadium oxide catalyst for NO reduction with NH3 at low temperatures

A novel activated carbon-supported vanadium oxide catalyst was studied for SCR of NO with NH₃ at low temperatures (100 – 250°C). The effects of reaction temperature, preparation conditions and SO₂ on SCR activity were evaluated. The results show that this catalyst has a high catalytic activity for NO–NH₃–O₂ reaction at low temperatures. Preoxidation of the calcined catalyst helps improve catalytic activity. V₂O₅ loading, other than calcination temperature, gives a significant influence on the activity. SO₂ in the flue gas does not de-activate the catalyst but improves it. A stability test of more than 260 h shows that the catalyst is highly active and stable in the presence of SO₂.     

Modifications to the surface chemistry of low-rank coal-based carbon catalysts to improve flue gas nitric oxide removal

The effectiveness of carbons as low-temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts will depend upon their physical and chemical properties. Surface functional groups containing oxygen are closely related to the catalytic activity of carbons. These groups are expected to change the interaction between the carbon surface and the reactants through a variation in adsorption and reaction characteristics. This paper presents a more detailed study of the effects of either gas-phase sulfuric acid or oxygen oxidation treatments on the catalytic NO reduction by low-rank coal-based carbon catalysts. Raw and treated carbons were characterized by N₂ and CO₂ surface areas, TPD and ash content. NO removal capacity of carbons was determined by passing a flow containing NO, H₂O, O₂, NH₃ and N₂ through a fixed bed of carbon at 150°C and 4 s of residence time, the effluent concentration being monitored continuously during the reaction. The effects of varying the type and conditions of the treatment on the physicochemical features of carbons were studied. The gas-phase sulfuric acid treatment (corresponding to a first step SO₂ removal) markedly enhanced carbon activities for NO removal. On the contrary, oxygen oxidation enhanced NO removal capacity of chars to a lower extent. Therefore, the carbons studied could be used in a combined SO₂/NO removal process, because the use and regeneration of the carbon in the first step is beneficial for the performance in the second one.     

Influence of the pre-treatment on the structure and reactivity of Ir/γ-Al2O3 catalysts in the selective reduction of nitric oxide by propene

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitric oxide by propene over Ir/Al₂O₃ under lean-burn conditions (1000 vpm NO, 2000 vpm C₃H₆, 500 vpm CO, 10 vol.% O₂) was studied. The activity was shown to be strongly enhanced after exposure of the catalyst at 600°C under the reaction mixture, irrespective of the oxidising or reducing pre-treatment. Simultaneously, the Ir dispersion decreased from 78 to 10%. The influence of each component of the reaction mixture on the activation process was examined. The presence of both CO and O₂ was found to be necessary to activate Ir/Al₂O₃ while NO would not be. In situ FT-IR results revealed that initially fully oxidised Ir particles partially reduced in the feed to form Ir⁰ reduced surface sites (νCO at 2060 cm⁻¹) which adsorbed CO up to 350–400°C. The activation under reactants was related to the formation of these sites. The presence of reduced (or partially reduced) Ir sites, possibly siting at the surface of IrO₂ particles and stabilised by CO adsorption, was proposed to be responsible for the SCR activity.     

A comparison study on non-thermal plasma-assisted catalytic reduction of NO by C3H6 at low temperatures between Ag/USY and Ag/Al2O3 catalysts

A comparison study was carried out on non-thermal plasma (NTP)-assisted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x by propene over Ag/USY and Ag/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Ag/USY was almost inactive in thermal SCR while it showed obvious activities in NTP-assisted SCR at 100 °C–200 °C. Although the NO_x conversion over Ag/Al₂O₃ was also enhanced at 300 °C–400 °C by the assistance of NTP, it was ineffective below 250 °C. The intermediates over Ag/USY and Ag/Al₂O₃ were investigated using in situ DRIFTS method. It was found that key intermediates in HC-SCR, such as NCO, CN, oxygenates and some N-containing organic species were enriched after the assistance of NTP. The differences in the behaviors of above intermediates were not found between these two kinds of catalysts. However, some evidences suggested that different properties of the absorbed NO_x species resulted in the distinction of SCR reactions over Ag/USY and Ag/Al₂O₃. TPD profiles of Ag/Al₂O₃ showed that nitrates formed over the catalyst were quite stable at low temperatures, which might occupy the active sites and were unfavorable to SCR reactions. The nitrates over Ag/USY were unstable, among which the unidentate nitrate species is probably contributed to the SCR reactions at low temperatures.     

Ion-exchanged pillared clays for selective catalytic reduction of NO by ethylene in the presence of oxygen

Ion-exchanged pillared clays (PILCs) were studied as catalysts for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by ethylene. Three most important pillared clays, Al₂O₃-PILC (or Al-PILC), ZrO₂-PILC (or Zr-PILC) and TiO₂-PILC (or Ti-PILC), were synthesized. Cation exchanges were performed to prepare the following catalysts: Cu–Ti-PILC, Cu–Al-PILC, Cu–Zr-PILC, Cu–Al–Laponite, Fe–Ti-PILC, Ce–Ti-PILC, Ce–Ti-PILC, Co–Ti-PILC, Ag–Ti-PILC and Ga–Ti-PILC. Cu–Ti-PILC showed the highest activities at temperatures below 370°C, while Cu–Al-PILC was most active at above 370°C, and both catalysts were substantially more active than Cu-ZSM-5. No detectable N₂O was formed by all of these catalysts. H₂O and SO₂ only slightly deactivated the SCR activity of Cu–Ti-PILC, whereas severe deactivation was observed for Cu-ZSM-5. The catalytic activity of Cu–Ti-PILC was found to depend on the method and amount of copper loading. The catalytic activity increased with copper content until it reached 245% ion-exchange. The doping of 0.5 wt% Ce₂O₃ on Cu–Ti-PILC increased the activities from 10% to 30% while 1.0 wt% of Ce₂O₃ decreased the activity of Cu–Ti-PILC due to pore plugging. Cu–Ti-PILC was found to be an excellent catalyst for NO SCR by NH₃, but inactive when CH₄ was used as the reducing agent. Subjecting the Cu–Ti-PILC catalyst to 5% H₂0 and 50 ppm SO₂ at 700°C for 2 h only slightly decreased its activity. TPR results showed that the overexchanged (245%) PILC sample contained Cu²⁺, Cu⁺ and CuO. The TPR temperatures for the Cu–Ti-PILC were substantially lower than that for Cu-ZSM-5, indicating easier redox on the PILC catalyst and hence higher SCR activity.     

MnOx/Pt/Al2O3 catalysts for CO oxidation in H2-rich streams

The catalytic activity of Pt on alumina catalysts, with and without MnO_x incorporated to the catalyst formulation, for CO oxidation in H₂-free as well as in H₂-rich stream (PROX) has been studied in the temperature range of 25–250 °C. The effect of catalyst preparation (by successive impregnation or by co-impregnation of Mn and Pt) and Mn content in the catalyst performance has been studied. A low Mn content (2 wt.%) has been found not to improve the catalyst activity compared to the base catalyst. However, catalysts prepared by successive impregnation with 8 and 15 wt.% Mn have shown a lower operation temperature for maximum CO conversion than the base catalyst with an enhanced catalyst activity at low temperatures with respect to Pt/Al₂O₃. A maximum CO conversion of 89.8%, with selectivity of 44.9% and CO yield of 40.3% could be reached over a catalyst with 15 wt.% Mn operating at 139 °C and λ = 2. The effect of the presence of 5 vol.% CO₂ and 5 vol.% H₂O in the feedstream on catalysts performance has also been studied and discussed. The presence of CO₂ in the feedstream enhances the catalytic performance of all the studied catalysts at high temperature, whereas the presence of steam inhibits catalysts with higher MnO_x content.     

Characterization and catalytic properties of perovskites with nominal compositions La1-xSrxAl1-2yCuyRuyO3

Nine different metal oxide catalysts were prepared by impregnating alumina washcoats with water solutions containing La³⁺, Sr²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Ru³⁺ ions and calcining them at 900°C. The produced samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and specific surface area measurements. A perovskite phase of the nominal composition La_1-xSr_xAl_1-2yCu_yRu_yO₃ was found in all samples, in increasing amount in the samples with increasing contents of strontium and ruthenium. The catalysts were evaluated with respect to light-off temperatures and redox characteristics using two gas mixtures, one containing NO/CO/C₃H₆/O₂/N₂ and the other NO/CO/N₂. The light-off temperatures for nitric oxide reduction decreased from 534 to 333°C for the catalysts without and with strontium and ruthenium, respectively. In the presence of oxygen the conversion of nitric oxide declined rapidly under oxidative conditions whereas in absence of oxygen this decline was less pronounced and found to be linear over the entire redox interval studied. These studies suggest that the perovskite phase takes an active part in the conversion of nitric oxide and carbon monoxide to nitrogen and carbon dioxide.     

Catalytic removal of perchloroethylene (PCE) over supported chromium oxide catalysts

The oxidation of perchloroethylene (PCE) was investigated over chromium oxide catalysts supported on SiO₂, SiO₂–Al₂O₃, activated carbon, mordenite type zeolites, MgO, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃. Supported chromium oxide catalysts were more active than any other metal oxide catalysts including noble metal examined in the present study. PCE removal activity of chromium oxide catalysts mainly depended on the type of supports and the content of metal loaded on the catalyst surface. TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ containing high surface areas were effective for the high performance of PCE removal, since the formation of well dispersed Cr(VI) active reaction sites for the present reaction system, was enhanced even for the high Cr loading on the catalyst surface. CrO_x catalysts supported on TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ also exhibited stable PCE removal activity at a low feed concentration of PCE of 30 ppm up to 100 h at 350°C. However, significant catalyst deactivation was observed at high PCE concentration of 10 000 ppm. CrO_x/TiO₂ revealed stronger water tolerance than CrO_x/Al₂O₃ due to the surface hydrophobicity.     

Selective catalytic reduction of NO with C2H4 over Cu/ZSM-5: Influences of oxygen partial pressure and incorporated rhodia

Catalytic activities of copper-exchanged ZSM-zeolites for the reduction of nitric oxide to nitrogen using ethylene as reducing agent in the presence or absence of oxygen are compared with those of Rh-ZSM-5 zeolites and binary Cu/Rh-ZSM-5 catalysts at 623–823 K. Copper ZSM-5 systems with high copper loadings (> 2.1) are shown to be much more active in the presence of oxygen, in marked contrast to Rh ZSM-5 catalysts which were more active in its absence. Binary ZSM-5 catalysts containing both copper and rhodium maintained intermediate activity in both conditions. A sample of Cu ZSM-5 containing only 1.8% copper also evidenced some activity in both conditions, which could be understood on the basis of catalytic action by copper ions within the zeolitic framework, allied to inherent Bronsted acidity of the latter. Comparative catalytic data are presented for the oxygen partial pressure dependence of the conversion to nitrogen over all catalysts at 673 K. These delineate the interplay between selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by C₂H₄ and ethylene oxidation by dioxygen. Techniques utilised to characterise the catalysts include: powder XRD, TPR in H₂, and TPD of O₂.     

Characterizations of platinum catalysts supported on Ce, Zr, Pr-oxides and formation of carbonate species in catalytic wet air oxidation of acetic acid

Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of aqueous solution of acetic acid (78 mmol L⁻¹) was carried out with pure oxygen (2 MPa) at 200 °C in a stirred batch reactor on platinum supported oxide catalysts (Pt/oxide, oxide = CeO₂, Zr_0.1Ce_0.9O₂, Zr_0.1(Ce_0.75Pr_0.25)_0.9O₂ and ZrO₂). Platinum was loaded on oxides by impregnation (5 wt%), and then the catalysts were reduced under H₂. Homogenous dispersions of 2–3 nm metal crystallites were obtained. The catalytic activity depended on the ability of the support to resist to the formation of carbonates. Ce(CO₃)OH species, determined by FT-IR and XRD, were rapidly formed during the CWAO reaction especially on mixed oxides. These carbonates were responsible to a drastic drop in catalytic performances. Amounts of carbonate species increase with the ability of the catalyst to transfer oxygen.     

Vanadium loaded carbon-based catalysts for the reduction of nitric oxide

Carbon-based SCR catalysts for the reduction of NO with NH₃ at low temperatures have been prepared using activated carbons obtained from a local Spanish coal, doped with several vanadium compounds. Among them, the ashes of a petroleum coke (PCA) were also employed. Both the catalysts and the carbon supports have been characterized by means of N₂ and CO₂ physisorption, NH₃ and O₂ chemisorption and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). The activity of the catalysts has been tested in a laboratory-scale unit, measuring significant conversions of NO (above 50%) with almost 100% selectivity toward N₂ at 150 °C. The feasibility of using the petroleum coke ashes as the active phase was confirmed comparing the activity of the catalysts doped with these residues, with the one measured for the catalysts prepared using model vanadium compounds. The physical–chemical features of the carbon support resulted of key importance for achieving a considerable catalytic activity. The values of apparent energy of activation calculated for the catalysts presented in this paper were very similar to other carbon-based catalysts and smaller than the ones corresponding to TiO₂-supported systems. The gas residence time on the catalytic bed influences the catalytic activity to a great extent, thus being a determinant parameter for designing the SCR de-NO_x unit. To avoid ammonia slip, inlet concentrations of NH₃ has to be little under the stoichometric NH₃/NO ratio (0.7). The catalysts stability was tested in terms of carbon support gasification followed by termogravimetric analysis and gas chromatography. The activity of the catalysts was maintained at least over 24 h of reaction.     

Total oxidation of propene and propane over gold–copper oxide on alumina catalysts: Comparison with Pt/Al2O3

Oxidation of propene and propane to CO₂ and H₂O has been studied over Au/Al₂O₃ and two different Au/CuO/Al₂O₃ (4 wt.% Au and 7.4 wt.% Au) catalysts and compared with the catalytic behaviour of Au/Co₃O₄/Al₂O₃ (4.1 wt.% Au) and Pt/Al₂O₃ (4.8 wt.% Pt) catalysts. The various characterization techniques employed (XRD, HRTEM, TPR and DR-UV–vis) revealed the presence of metallic gold, along with a highly dispersed CuO (6 wt.% CuO), or more crystalline CuO phase (12 wt.% CuO).

A higher CuO loading does not significantly influence the catalytic performance of the catalyst in propene oxidation, the gold loading appears to be more important. Moreover, it was found that 7.4Au/CuO/Al₂O₃ is almost as active as Pt/Al₂O₃, whereas Au/Co₃O₄/Al₂O₃ performs less than any of the CuO-containing gold-based catalysts.

The light-off temperature for C₃H₈ oxidation is significantly higher than for C₃H₆. For this reaction the particle size effect appears to prevail over the effect of gold loading. The most active catalysts are 4Au/CuO/Al₂O₃ (gold particles less than 3 nm) and 4Au/Co₃O₄/Al₂O₃ (gold particles less than 5 nm).     

Ethylene epoxidation on Ag catalysts supported on non-porous, microporous and mesoporous silicates

The ethylene epoxidation activity of Ag catalysts supported on non-porous SiO₂, microporous silicalite zeolite and mesoporous MCM-41 and HMS silicates was investigated in the present study in comparison to conventional low surface area -Al₂O₃ based catalysts. The MCM-41 and HMS based catalysts exhibited similar ethylene conversion activity and ethylene oxide (EO) selectivity with the SiO₂ and -Al₂O₃ based catalysts at relatively lower temperatures (up to 230 °C), whereas their activity and selectivity decreased significantly at higher temperatures (≥300 °C). The silicalite based catalyst was highly active for a wide temperature range, similar to the SiO₂ and -Al₂O₃ based catalysts, but it was the less selective amongst all catalysts tested. High loadings of Ag particles (up to ca. 40 wt.%) with medium crystallites size (20–55 nm) could be achieved on the mesoporous materials resulting in very active epoxidation catalysts. The HMS-type silicate with the 3D network of wormhole-like framework mesopores (with average diameter of 3.5 nm), in combination with a high-textural (interparticle) porosity, appeared to be the most promising mesoporous support.     

Selective catalytic reduction of NO by ammonia using mesoporous Fe-containing HZSM-5 and HZSM-12 zeolite catalysts: An option for automotive applications

Mesoporous and conventional Fe-containing ZSM-5 and ZSM-12 catalysts (0.5–8 wt% Fe) were prepared using a simple impregnation method and tested in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH₃. It was found that for both Fe/HZSM-5 and Fe/HZSM-12 catalysts with similar Fe contents, the activity of the mesoporous samples in NO SCR with NH₃ is significantly higher than for conventional samples. Such a difference in the activity is probably related with the better diffusion of reactants and products in the mesopores and better dispersion of the iron particles in the mesoporous zeolite as was confirmed by SEM analysis. Moreover, the maximum activity for the mesoporous zeolites is found at higher Fe concentrations than for the conventional zeolites. This also illustrates that the mesoporous zeolites allow a better dispersion of the metal component than the conventional zeolites. Finally, the influence of different pretreatment conditions on the catalytic activity was studied and interestingly, it was found that it is possible to increase the SCR performance significantly by preactivation of the catalysts in a 1% NH₃/N₂ mixture at 500 °C for 5 h. After preactivation, the activity of mesoporous 6 wt% Fe/HZSM-5 and 6 wt% Fe/HZSM-12 catalyst is comparable with that of traditional 3 wt% V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst used as a reference at temperatures below 400 °C and even more active at higher temperatures.     

Formation of active state in vanadium–titanium oxide system regarding to reaction of oxidation of β-picoline to nicotinic acid

Binary vanadia–titania catalysts comprising 5–75 wt.% of V₂O₅ and 95–25 wt.% of TiO₂, pretreated at the temperature ranging between 300 and 700°C, were studied as heterogeneous catalysts for oxidation of β-picoline at 250°C, and inlet concentrations of the following components (vol.%): 1% of 3-picoline, 20% of oxygen, 30% of steam. Nicotinic acid, 3-pyridinecarbaldehyde and CO₂ were the reaction products. The most active state for oxidation of 3-picoline into nicotinic acid was shown to result from formation of coherent interface between V₂O₅ and TiO₂ (anatase) crystallites. This state was generated at the temperature particular for each composition and persists below the temperature of the anatase to rutile transition.     

Oxidation of H2S on activated carbon KAU and influence of the surface state

Properties of the oxidized activated carbon KAU treated at different temperatures in inert atmosphere were studied by means of DTA, Boehm titration, XPS and AFM methods and their catalytic activity in H₂S oxidation by air was determined. XPS analysis has shown the existence of three types of oxygen species on carbon catalysts surface. The content of oxygen containing groups determined by Boehm titration is correlated with their amount obtained by XPS. Catalytic activity of the KAU catalysts in selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide is connected with chemisorbed charged oxygen species (O_3.1 oxygen type with BE 536.8–537.7 eV) present on the carbons surface.

Formation of dense sulfur layer (islands of sulfur) on the carbons surface and removal of active oxygen species are the reason of the catalysts deactivation in H₂S selective oxidation. The treatment of deactivated catalyst in inert atmosphere at 300 °C gives full regeneration of the catalyst activity at low temperature reaction but only its partial reducing at high reaction temperature. The last case is connected with transformation of chemisorbed charged oxygen species into CO groups.

The KAU samples treated in flow of inert gas at 900–1000 °C were very active in H₂S oxidation to elemental sulfur transforming up to 51–57 mmol H₂S/g catalyst at 180 °C with formation of 1.7–1.9 g S_x/g catalyst.     

Al18B4O33 aluminium borate: A new efficient support for palladium in the high temperature catalytic combustion of methane

Well crystallised aluminium borate Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ has been synthesised from alumina and boric acid with a BET area of 18 m²/g after calcination at 1100 °C. Afterwards, 2 wt.% Pd/Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ was prepared by conventional impregnation of Pd(NO₃)₂ aqueous solution and calcination in air at 500 °C. The catalytic activity of Pd/Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ in the complete oxidation of methane was measured between 300 and 900 °C and compared with that of Pd/Al₂O₃. Pd/Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ exhibited a much lower activity than Pd/Al₂O₃ when treated in hydrogen at 500 °C or aged in O₂/H₂O (90:10) at 800 °C prior to catalytic testing. Surprisingly, a catalytic reaction run up to 900 °C in the reaction mixture induced a steep increase of the catalytic activity of Pd/Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ which became as active as Pd/Al₂O₃. Moreover, the decrease of the catalytic activity observed around 750 °C for Pd/Al₂O₃ and attributed to PdO decomposition into metallic Pd was significantly shifted to higher temperatures (820 °C) in the case of Pd/Al₁₈B₄O₃₃. The existence of two distinct types of PdO species formed on Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ and being, respectively, responsible for the improvement of the activity at low and high temperature was proposed on the basis of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption of O₂.