Deactivation Mechanism of Multipoisons in Cement Furnace Flue Gas on Selective Catalytic Reduction Catalysts

A comprehensive review of deactivation and modification of selective catalytic reaction catalysts installed in cement kilns

After the ultralow emission transformation of coal-fired power plants, cement production became China's leading industrial emission source of nitrogen oxides. Flue gas dust contents at the outlet of cement kiln preheaters were as high as 80-100 g/m3, and the calcium oxide content in the dust exceeded 60%. Commercial V2O5(-WO3)/TiO2 catalysts suitable for coal-fired flue gas suffer from alkaline earth metal Ca poisoning of cement kiln flue gas. Recent studies have also identified the poisoning of cement kiln selective catalytic reaction (SCR) catalysts by the heavy metals lead and thallium. Investigation of the poisoning process is the primary basis for analyzing the catalytic lifetime. This review summarizes and analyzes the SCR catalytic mechanism and chronicles the research progress concerning this poisoning mechanism. Based on the catalytic and toxification mechanisms, it can be inferred that improving the anti-poisoning performance of a catalyst enhances its acidity, surface redox performance-active catalytic sites, and shell layer protection. The data provide support in guiding engineering practice and reducing operating costs of SCR plants. Finally, future research directions for SCR denitrification catalysts in the cement industry are discussed. This study provides critical support for the development and optimization of poisoning-resistant SCR denitrification catalysts.

Gas-Phase Regeneration of Metal-Poisoned V2O5-WO3/TiO2 NH3-SCR Catalysts via a Masking and Reconstruction Strategy

Renewing metal-poisoned NH3-SCR catalysts holds great potential for mitigating environmental pollution and utilizing hazardous wastes simultaneously. Ionic compounds containing heavy metals often exhibit limited solubility due to their high polarizability, making traditional washing techniques ineffective in removing heavy metal poisons. This study presents a gas-based method for regenerating heavy-metal-poisoned V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts employed in NH3-SCR techniques. The regeneration is achieved by employing a masking and reconstruction strategy, which involves the in situ formation of NO2 to mediate the production of SO3. This enables the effective bonding of Pb and triggers the reconstruction of active VOx sites. In situ spectroscopy confirms that the sulfation of PbO restores acidity, while the occupied effect resulting from the sulfation of TiO2 promotes the formation of more polymeric VOx species. Consequently, the regenerated catalyst exhibits enhanced activity and superior resistance to metal poisons compared with the fresh catalyst. The innovative method offers a promising solution for extending the lifespan of poisoned catalysts, reducing waste generation, and enhancing the efficiency of NH3-SCR systems.

Theoretical insight into H2O impact on V2O5/TiO2 catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NOx

H2O in flue gas causes the deactivation of V2O5/TiO2 catalysts for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 at low temperatures. Developing water resistance requires understanding the theoretical mechanism of H2O impact on the catalysts. The aim of this work was to clarify the adsorption process of H2O and the deactivation mechanism induced by H2O through density functional theory (DFT). The process of H2O adsorption was studied based on a modeled V2O5/TiO2 catalyst surface. It was found that H2O had a strong interaction with exposed titanium atoms. Water adsorption on the catalyst surface significantly alters the electronic structure of VOx sites, transforming Lewis acid sites into Brønsted acid sites. Exposed titanium sites contribute to the decrease of Lewis acidity via adsorbed water. Ab initio thermodynamic calculations show that H2O adsorption on V2O5/TiO2 is stable at low coverage but less favorable at high coverage. Adsorption of NH3 is the most critical step for the SCR of NOx, and the adsorption of H2O can hinder this process. The H2O coverage below 15% of adsorption sites could enhance the NH3 adsorption rate and have a limited effect on the acidity, while higher coverage impeded the adsorption ability of VOx sites. This work provided electron-scale insight into the adsorption impact of H2O on the surface of V2O5/TiO2 catalysts, presented thermodynamic analysis of the adsorption of H2O and NH3, paving the way for the exploration of V2O5/TiO2 catalysts with improved water resistance.

Insights into Nb doping effects on the catalytic activity and SO2 tolerance of Mn-Cu/BCN catalyst for low-temperature NH3-SCR reaction

Biochar-based supported denitration catalysts have shown tremendous potential in reducing NOx, while improving low-temperature NH3-SCR catalytic activity and SO2 tolerance still faces great challenges. In this work, Mn7-Cu3/BCN and Mn7-Cu3-Nbx/BCN catalysts were prepared by one-step wet impregnation. The enhanced effect of Nb doping on the catalytic performance and SO2 tolerance over the Mn7-Cu3/BCN catalyst was evaluated in the temperature range of 75-275 °C. The denitrification activity test showed that the introduction of an appropriate amount of Nb increased the catalytic activity and N2 selectivity of the catalyst. The NO conversion of Mn7-Cu3-Nb0.05/BCN with an optimum doping ratio of 0.05 wt% Nb was higher than 94% at 150-275 °C. The characterization results indicated that the introduction of Nb enhanced the interaction between the active components MnOx and CuOx, accelerated the electron transfer between elements, and thus improved the Mn4+/Mnn+ and Oα/(Oα+Oβ+Oγ) proportions and redox performance. On the other hand, Nb modification increased the number of weakly acidic sites, which was beneficial for the adsorption and activation of the reducing agent NH3 under low-temperature conditions. Meanwhile, Nb could significantly improve the SO2 poisoning resistance of the Mn7-Cu3/BCN-S catalyst when SO2 was added to the reaction system. The NO conversion of Mn7-Cu3-Nb0.05/BCN remained above 75% after a 13.5 h reaction under 100 ppm SO2 and 5 vol% H2O at 225 °C. By combining experimental characterization results with DFT calculation results, we effectively confirmed that Mn7-Cu3-Nb0.05/BCN had good sulfur resistance, mainly because Nb could effectively inhibit the formation of manganese sulfate and promote the decomposition of ammonium bisulfate.

Unlocking High-Efficiency Methane Oxidation with Bimetallic Pd-Ce Catalysts under Zeolite Confinement

Catalytic complete oxidation is an efficient approach to reducing methane emissions, a significant contributor to global warming. This approach requires active catalysts that are highly resistant to sintering and water vapor. In this work, we demonstrate that Pd nanoparticles confined within silicalite-1 zeolites (Pd@S-1), fabricated using a facile in situ encapsulation strategy, are highly active and stable in catalyzing methane oxidation and are superior to those supported on the S-1 surface due to a confinement effect. The activity of the confined Pd catalysts was further improved by co-confining a suitable amount of Ce within the S-1 zeolite (PdCe_0.4@S-1), which is attributed to confinement-reinforced Pd-Ce interactions that promote the formation of oxygen vacancies and highly reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the introduction of Ce improves the hydrophobicity of the S-1 zeolite and, by forming Pd-Ce mixed oxides, inhibits the transformation of the active PdO phase to inactive Pd(OH)₂ species. Overall, the bimetallic PdCe_0.4@S-1 catalyst delivers exceptional outstanding activity and durability in complete methane oxidation, even in the presence of water vapor. This study may provide new prospects for the rational design of high-performance and durable Pd catalysts for complete methane oxidation.

Revealing the Dynamic Behavior of Active Sites on Acid-Functionalized CeO2 Catalysts for NOx Reduction

Unraveling the dynamics of the active sites upon CeO₂-based catalysts in selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by ammonia (NH₃-SCR) is challenging. In this work, we prepared tungsten-acidified and sulfated CeO₂ catalysts and used operando spectroscopy to reveal the dynamics of acid sites and redox sites on catalysts during NH₃-SCR reaction. We found that both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites are needed to participate in the catalytic reaction. Notably, Brønsted acid sites are the main active sites after a tungsten-acidified or sulfated treatment, and the change of Brønsted acid sites significantly affects the NO_x removal. Moreover, acid functionalization promotes the cerium species cycle between Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺ for the NO_x reduction. This work is critical to deeply understanding the natural properties of active sites, and it also provides new insights into the mechanism for NH₃-SCR over CeO₂-based catalysts.

Understanding structure-performance relationships of CoOx/CeO2 catalysts for NO catalytic oxidation: Facet tailoring and bimetallic interface designing

Crystalline structure and bimetallic interaction of metal oxides are essential factors to determine the catalytic activity. Herein, three different CoO_x/CeO₂ catalysts, employing CeO₂ nanorods (predominately exposed {110 facet), CeO₂ nanopolyhedra ({111} facet) and CeO₂ nanocubes ({100} facet) as the supports, are successfully prepared for investigating the effect of exposed crystal facets and bimetallic interface interaction on NO oxidation. In comparison with the {111} and {100} facets, the exposed crystal facet {110} exists the best superiority to anchor and stabilize Co species. Moreover, ultra-small CoO_x clusters composed of strong Co-O coordination shells with minor Co-O-Ce interaction are formed and uniformly dispersed on the CeO₂ nanorods. Structural characterizations reveal that the active exposed crystal facet {110} and the strong bimetallic interface interaction in CoO_x/CeO₂-nanorods (R-CC) result in more structural defect, endowing it with abundant oxygen vacancies, excellent reducibility and strong adsorption capacity. The DRIFTs spectra further indicate that the exposed crystal facet {110} has a significant promoting effect on the strength of nitrates compared with {111} and {100} facets. The bimetallic interface interaction not only significantly facilitates the formation of nitrate species at lower temperature, but also effectively suppresses the generation of sulfate and lower the sulphation rate. Therefore, R-CC catalyst exhibits the maximum NO oxidation activity with the conversion of 86.4 % at 300 °C and still sustains its high activity under cyclic condition or 50 ppm SO₂. The provided crystalline structure and interaction-enhanced strategy sheds light on the design of high-activity NO oxidation catalysts.

Advances in air pollution control for key industries in China during the 13th five-year plan

Industrial development is an essential foundation of the national economy, but the industry is also the largest source of air pollution, of which power plants, iron and steel, building materials, and other industries emit large amounts of pollutants. Therefore, the Chinese government has promulgated a series of stringent emission regulations, and it is against this backdrop that research into air pollution control technologies for key industrial sectors is in full swing. In particular, during the 13th Five-Year Plan, breakthroughs have been made in pollution control technology for key industrial sectors. A multi-pollutant treatment technology system of desulfurization, denitrification, and dust collection, which applies to key industries such as power plants, steel, and building materials, has been developed. High-performance materials for the treatment of different pollutants, such as denitrification catalysts and desulfurization absorbers, were developed. At the same time, multi-pollutant synergistic removal technologies for flue gas in various industries have also become a hot research topic, with important breakthroughs in the synergistic removal of NO_x, SO_x, and Hg. Due to the increasingly stringent emission standards and regulations in China, there is still a need to work on the development of multi-pollutant synergistic technologies and further research and development of synergistic abatement technologies for CO₂ to meet the requirements of ultra-low emissions in industrial sectors.

Recent trends in vanadium-based SCR catalysts for NOx reduction in industrial applications: stationary sources

Vanadium-based catalysts have been used for several decades in ammonia-based selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) processes for reducing NO_x emissions from various stationary sources (power plants, chemical plants, incinerators, steel mills, etc.) and mobile sources (large ships, automobiles, etc.). Vanadium-based catalysts containing various vanadium species have a high NO_x reduction efficiency at temperatures of 350-400 °C, even if the vanadium species are added in small amounts. However, the strengthening of NO_x emission regulations has necessitated the development of catalysts with higher NO_x reduction efficiencies. Furthermore, there are several different requirements for the catalysts depending on the target industry and application. In general, the composition of SCR catalyst is determined by the components of the fuel and flue gas for a particular application. It is necessary to optimize the catalyst with regard to the reaction temperature, thermal and chemical durability, shape, and other relevant factors. This review comprehensively analyzes the properties that are required for SCR catalysts in different industries and the development strategies of high-performance and low-temperature vanadium-based catalysts. To analyze the recent research trends, the catalysts employed in power plants, incinerators, as well as cement and steel industries, that emit the highest amount of nitrogen oxides, are presented in detail along with their limitations. The recent developments in catalyst composition, structure, dispersion, and side reaction suppression technology to develop a high-efficiency catalyst are also summarized. As the composition of the vanadium-based catalyst depends mostly on the usage in stationary sources, various promoters and supports that improve the catalyst activity and suppress side reactions, along with the studies on the oxidation state of vanadium, are presented. Furthermore, the research trends related to the nano-dispersion of catalytically active materials using various supports, and controlling the side reactions using the structure of shaped catalysts are summarized. The review concludes with a discussion of the development direction and future prospects for high-efficiency SCR catalysts in different industrial fields.

Monolith or Powder: Improper Sample Pretreatment May Mislead the Understanding of Industrial V2O5-WO3/TiO2 Catalysts Operated in Stationary Resources

Although various characterizations are widely applied to commercial V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts, the influence of the catalyst physical structure, i.e., monolith or powder, on the characterization results has not been investigated. Several important catalytic behaviors and phenomena were observed in this study using V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ monolithic catalysts employed for over 5000 h in various stationary flue gases, and many of the results were only observable on monolithic catalysts, such as depth-dependent distribution of external elements, penetration of As₂O₃, and the formation of Tl₂O-TiO₂ p-n junctions. If the monolith is ground into powder states, it will alter or destroy the catalyst surface and remove important clues closely related to catalytic performance under working conditions. The redox and acidity properties of V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ obtained from powder samples may be significantly different from their true state under working conditions, resulting in a misperception of catalyst performance. Therefore, a cautious pretreatment should be taken into careful consideration when analyzing commercial honeycomb V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts.

Compensation or Aggravation: Pb and SO2 Copoisoning Effects over Ceria-Based Catalysts for NOx Reduction

Severe catalyst deactivation caused by multiple poisons, including heavy metals and SO₂, remains an obstinate issue for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x by NH₃. The copoisoning effects of heavy metals and SO₂ are still unclear and irreconcilable. Herein, the unanticipated differential compensated or aggravated Pb and SO₂ copoisoning effects over ceria-based catalysts for NO_x reduction was originally unraveled. It was demonstrated that Pb and SO₂ exhibited a compensated copoisoning effect over the CeO₂/TiO₂ (CT) catalyst with sole active CeO₂ sites but an aggravated copoisoning effect over the CeO₂-WO₃/TiO₂ (CWT) catalyst with dual active CeO₂ sites and acidic WO₃ sites. Furthermore, it was uniquely revealed that Pb preferred bonding with CeO₂ among CT while further being combined with SO₂ to form PbSO₄ after copoisoning, which released the poisoned active CeO₂ sites and rendered the copoisoned CT catalyst a recovered reactivity. In comparison, Pb and SO₂ would poison acidic WO₃ sites and active CeO₂ sites, respectively, resulting in a seriously degraded reactivity of the copoisoned CWT catalyst. Therefore, this work thoroughly illustrates the internal mechanism of differential compensated or aggravated deactivation effects for Pb and SO₂ copoisoning over CT and CWT catalysts and provides effective solutions to design ceria-based SCR catalysts with remarkable copoisoning resistance for the coexistence of heavy metals and SO₂.

Evaluation of the Flexibility for Catalytic Ozonation of Dichloromethane over Urchin-Like CuMnOx in Flue Gas with Complicated Components

The evaluation of the poisoning effect of complex components in practical gas on DCM (dichloromethane) catalytic ozonation is of great significance for enhancing the technique's environmental flexibility. Herein, Ca, Pb, As, and NO/SO₂ were selected as a typical alkaline-earth metal, heavy metal, metalloid, and acid gas, respectively, to evaluate their interferences on catalytic behaviors and surface properties of an optimized urchin-like CuMn catalyst. Ca/Pb loading weakens the formation of oxygen vacancies, oxygen mobility, and acidity due to the fusion of Mn-Ca/Pb-O, leading to their inferior catalytic performance with poor CO₂ selectivity and mineralization rate. Noticeably, the presence of As induces excessively strong acidity, facilitating the inevitable formation of byproducts. Catalytic co-ozonation of NO/DCM is achieved with stoichiometric ozone addition. Unfortunately, SO₂ introduction brings irreversible deactivation due to strong competition adsorption and the loss of active sites. Unexpectedly, Ca loading protects active sites from an attack by SO₂. The formation of unstable sulfites and the released Mn-O structure offset the negative effect from SO₂. Overall, the catalytic ozonation of DCM exhibits a distinctive priority in the antipoisoning of metals with the maintenance of DCM conversion. The construction of more stable acid sites should be the future direction of catalyst design; otherwise, catalytic ozonation should be arranged together with post heavy metal capture and a deacidification system.

Unique Compensation Effects of Heavy Metals and Phosphorus Copoisoning over NOx Reduction Catalysts

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x from the flue gas is still a grand challenge due to the easy deactivation of catalysts. The copoisoning mechanisms and multipoisoning-resistant strategies for SCR catalysts in the coexistence of heavy metals and phosphorus are barely explored. Herein, we unexpectedly found unique compensation effects of heavy metals and phosphorus copoisoning over NO_x reduction catalysts and the introduction of heavy metals results in a dramatic recovery of NO_x reduction activity for the P-poisoned CeO₂/TiO₂ catalysts. P preferentially combines with Ce as a phosphate species to reduce the redox capacity and inhibit NO adsorption. Heavy metals preferentially reduced the Brønsted acid sites of the catalyst and inhibited NH₃ adsorption. It has been demonstrated that heavy metal phosphate species generated over the copoisoned catalyst, which boosted the activation of NH₃ and NO, subsequently bringing about more active nitrate species to relieve the severe impact by phosphorus and maintain the NO_x reduction over CeO₂/TiO₂ catalysts. The heavy metals and P copoisoned catalysts also possessed more acidic sites, redox sites, and surface adsorbed oxygen species, which thus contributed to the highly efficient NO_x reduction. This work elaborates the unique compensation effects of heavy metals and phosphorus copoisoning over CeO₂/TiO₂ catalysts for NO_x reduction and provides a perspective for further designing multipoisoning-resistant CeO₂-based catalysts to efficiently control NO_x emissions in stationary sources.

Effects of Flue Gas Impurities on the Performance of Rare Earth Denitration Catalysts

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is still the most widely used process for controlling NOx gas pollution. Specifically, commercial vanadium-based catalysts have problems such as narrow operating temperature range and environmental pollution. Researchers have developed a series of cerium-based catalysts with good oxygen storage performance and excellent redox performance of CeO2. However, the anti-poisoning performance of the catalyst is the key to its application. There are many kinds of impurities in the flue gas, which has a huge impact on the catalyst. The deposition of substances, the reduction of active sites, the reduction of specific surface area, and the reduction of chemically adsorbed oxygen will affect the denitration activity of the catalyst to varying degrees, and the poisoning mechanism of different impurities on the catalyst is also different. Therefore, this review divides the impurities contained in flue gas into different types such as alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, heavy metals, and non-metals, and summarizes the effects and deactivation mechanisms of various types of impurities on the activity of rare earth catalysts. Finally, we hope that this work can provide a valuable reference for the development and application of NH3-SCR catalysts for rare earth denitration in the field of NOx control.

Alkali and Heavy Metal Copoisoning Resistant Catalytic Reduction of NOx via Liberating Lewis Acid Sites

The catalyst deactivation caused by the coexistence of alkali and heavy metals remains an obstacle for selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH₃. Moreover, the copoisoning mechanism of alkali and heavy metals is still unclear. Herein, the copoisoning mechanism of K and Cd was revealed from the adsorption and variation of reaction intermediates at a molecular level through time-resolved in situ spectroscopy combined with theoretical calculations. The alkali metal K mainly decreased the adsorption of NH₃ on Lewis acid sites and altered the reaction more depending on the formation of the NH₄NO₃ intermediate, which is highly related to NO_x adsorption and activation. However, Cd further inhibited the generation of active nitrate intermediates and thus decreased the NO_x abatement about 60% on potassium-poisoned CeTiO_x catalysts. Physically mixing with acid additives for CeTiO_x catalysts could significantly liberate the active Lewis acid sites from the occupation of alkali metals and relieve the high dependence on NO_x adsorption and activation, thus recovering the NO_x removal rate to the initial state. This work revealed the copoisoning mechanism of K and Cd on Ce-based de-NO_x catalysts and developed a facile anti-poisoning strategy, which paves a way for the development of durable catalysts among alkali and heavy metal copoisoning resistant catalytic reduction of NO_x.

Inhibition Effect of Phosphorus Poisoning on the Dynamics and Redox of Cu Active Sites in a Cu-SSZ-13 NH3-SCR Catalyst for NOx Reduction

Phosphorus (P) stemming from biodiesel and/or lubricant oil additives is unavoidable in real diesel exhausts and deactivates gradually the Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite catalyst for ammonia-assisted selective catalytic NO_x reduction (NH₃-SCR). Here, the deactivation mechanism of Cu-SSZ-13 by P-poisoning was investigated by ex situ examination of the structural changes and by in situ probing the dynamics and redox of Cu active sites via a combination of impedance spectroscopy, diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. We unveiled that strong interactions between Cu and P led to not only a loss of Cu active sites for catalytic turnovers but also a restricted dynamic motion of Cu species during low-temperature NH₃-SCR catalysis. Furthermore, the Cu^II ↔ Cu^I redox cycling of Cu sites, especially the Cu^I → Cu^II reoxidation half-cycle, was significantly inhibited, which can be attributed to the restricted Cu motion by P-poisoning disabling the formation of key dimeric Cu intermediates. As a result, the NH₃-SCR activity at low temperatures (200 °C and below) decreased slightly for the mildly poisoned Cu-SSZ-13 and considerably for the severely poisoned Cu-SSZ-13.

MoO3/TiO2 catalyst with atomically dispersed O-Mo-O structures toward improving NH4HSO4 poisoning resistance for selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides

Slow progress in discovering new catalysts to circumvent the problem of ammonium bisulfate (NH₄HSO₄, ABS) poisoning has hindered further development of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology of NO_x with ammonia (from numerous industrial processes) in afterburning systems at temperatures below dew point of ABS (typically between 280 °C and 320 °C). Recently, we have explored the use of atomically dispersed Mo species on TiO₂ particles (hereafter denoted as MoO₃/TiO₂) as highly efficient catalyst for NH₃-SCR reaction. In the present study, it will be shown that this type of catalyst is highly resistant to ABS poisoning for NH₃-SCR reaction, overcoming a major issue afflicting the application of commercial V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst at temperatures below the dew point of ABS. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) suggests that most of the Mo species are present in atomically dispersed form in the MoO₃/TiO₂ catalyst. SO₂ oxidation measurements show that the MoO₃/TiO₂ catalyst exhibits a substantially lower SO₂ oxidation rate compared to the commercial V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂, mitigating ABS formation. Furthermore, decomposition of ABS on MoO₃/TiO₂ surface is found to be extremely facile. Temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) with NO shows that the decomposition temperature of ABS over MoO₃/TiO₂ is 70 °C lower than that found on the commercial V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst. Our investigations provide valuable information for the development of NH₃-SCR catalysts with exceptional resistance to ABS poisoning for NO_x emission control.

Alkali-Resistant Catalytic Reduction of NOx by Using Ce-O-B Alkali-Capture Sites

Reducing the poisoning effect arising from alkali metals over catalysts for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x by NH₃ is still an urgent issue to be solved. Herein, alkali-resistant NO_x reduction over B-doped CeO₂/TiO₂ catalysts (Ce-B/TiO₂) with Ce-O-B alkali-capture sites was originally demonstrated. It was noted that boron was confirmed to be doped into the lattice of CeO₂ to form the Ce-O-B structure. In this way, more active Ce(III) species and oxygen vacancies were generated from B-doped CeO₂, thus accelerating the redox cycle and enhancing the adsorption/activation of NO. Gratifyingly, the created Ce-O-B sites as alkali-capture sites could be effectively combined with K and release the poisoned Ce active sites, which maintained efficient NH₃ and NO adsorption/activation over K poisoned Ce-B/TiO₂. This work paves a way for designing highly efficient and alkali-resistant SCR catalysts in both academic and industrial fields.

Impact of NOx and NH3 addition on toluene oxidation over MnOx-CeO2 catalyst

An increasing number of industries remove toluene from flue gas by the existing NH₃-selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) units. A thorough probe into the impact of NO_x and NH₃ addition on toluene oxidation is imperative but still lacks a unified understanding. In this work, NH₃-SCR reactants are found to inhibit the toluene oxidation process over the MnO_x-CeO₂ catalyst below 200 °C. The competitive adsorption between NH₃-SCR reactants and toluene, the NO₂ adsorption state, and carbon deposition are emphasized to play important roles in this deactivation. Within the NO₂ adsorption states, only the adsorbed NO₂ can enhance the toluene oxidation. The formed nitrate species (NO₃^-) on the surface is inactive. NO₂ adsorption is the weakest among the reactants with the smallest adsorption energy of -0.42 eV, restricting its promotion on toluene oxidation. NO and N₂O are both demonstrated to be inefficient to oxidize toluene. Meanwhile, MnO_x-CeO₂ catalyst suffers from serious acetonitrile and benzonitrile poisoning. The amount of nitrile species accounts for ~95% of total carbon deposition, while no simple substance carbon (C) can be generated from CO disproportionation. Special care should be considered towards the formation of environmentally hazardous benzamide in the off-gas from the simultaneous NO_x and toluene removal process.

Low-medium temperature application of selective catalytic reduction denitration in cement flue gas through a pilot plant

Low-medium temperature application of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) denitration in cement flue gas was established and investigated in this study. The 2000 h continuous operation shows the concentration of NO_x at the outlet can be maintained at 24 mg/Nm³ on average, while due to the increase of SO₂ in flue gas, the NO_x concentration increased to 57.5 mg/Nm³ after long time operation. The sulfur deposition is the main reason for catalyst deactivation, and SO₂ is still a big obstacle for low-medium temperature SCR application in cement flue gas. The denitration efficiency was tested as fluctuated from 73.5% to 86.2%, and ammonia concentration after SCR was as still as high as 22.5-60.0 mg/Nm³ due to the excessive ammonia injection from selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), shows serious ammonia escape problem for SNCR, and the potential application of hybrid SNCR-SCR technology. In order to maintain the denitration efficiency above 85.0%, the gaseous hourly space velocity (GHSV) should not be exceeded 2800 h^-1, the electrostatic precipitators (ESP) setting at 60 kV was relatively appropriate, the temperature of the flue gas should be kept at above 200 °C. The concentrations and toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs) of the PCDD/Fs congeners in the flue gas raised greatly after SCR reactor, indicating the PCDD/Fs concentration should be concerned during the application of low-medium temperature SCR, especially for the waste co-disposal processes.

Alkali-Resistant Catalytic Reduction of NOx via Naturally Coupling Active and Poisoning Sites

Releasing the poisoning effect of alkali metals over catalysts is still an intractable issue for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with ammonia. The presence of K in fly ash always dramatically suppressed catalytic activity by impairing acidity and redox properties, leading to severe reduction of lifetime for SCR catalysts. Herein, alkali-resistant NOx reduction over TiO2-supported Fe2(SO4)3 catalysts was originally demonstrated via naturally coupling active and poisoning sites. Notably, TiO2-supported Fe2(SO4)3 catalysts expressed admirable NOx conversion and K resistance within a quite broad temperature window of 200-500 °C. The catalysts with more conserved sulfate species revealed that sulfate groups preferred to migrate from the bulk phase to surface, thus effectively binding with K poisons to release the damage on iron active sites. Because of protection effects of migrated sulfates and closely coupling effects with Fe active sites, NH3 and NO adsorption amounts and rates were well maintained. In this way, Fe metal sites and sulfate species closely coupled together on a self-preserved TiO2-supported Fe2(SO4)3 catalyst played essential roles as highly active sites and unique poisoning sites. This work paves a new way to design SCR catalysts with superior alkali resistance that are more reliable in practical deNOx application.

Improved Sulfur Resistance of COMMERCIAl V2O5-WO3/TiO2 SCR Catalyst Modified by Ce and Cu

The accumulation of NH4HSO4 leads to the deactivation of commercial V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst (VWTi) in practical application. The commercial catalyst is modified with 0.3 wt. % Ce and 0.05 wt. % Cu (donated as VWCeCuTi), and its sulfur resistance is noticeably improved. After loading 20 wt. % NH4HSO4, the NOx conversion of VWCeCuTi-S remains 40% at 250 °C, higher than that of VWTi-S (25%). Through a series of characterization analyses, it was found that the damaged surface areas and acid sites are the key factors for the deactivation of S-poisoned samples. However, surface-active oxygen and NO adsorption are increased by NH4HSO4 deposition, and the L–H mechanism is promoted over S-poisoned samples. Due to the interaction between V, Ce and Cu, the surface-active oxygen over VWCeCuTi-S is increased, and then NO adsorption is promoted. In addition, VWCeCuTi-S obtains a higher V5+ ratio and a better redox property than VWTi-S, which in turn accelerates the NH3-SCR reaction. More NO adsorption and encouraged reaction contribute to the better sulfur resistance of VWCeCuTi.

Life Cycle Assessment of Nitrogen Circular Economy-Based NOx Treatment Technology

Humans are significantly perturbing the global nitrogen cycle, leading to excess reactive nitrogen in the environment. Nitrogen oxides as a key reactive nitrogen species are mainly controlled by selective non-catalytic reduction and selective catalytic reduction. Converting nitrogen oxides to ammonia, defined as ReNOx, emerges as an alternative method under a disparate design concept. However, little is known about its overall environmental performance. In this study, we conducted for the first time a life cycle assessment of ReNOx. Compared with the eco-index in the condition of 200 °C with a conversion rate of 95%, it would increase substantially in the condition of 160 °C with a conversion rate of 80% and in the case without a sound NH3 treatment. Feedstock format change, adsorption material performance deterioration, and recovery rate decline would increase the eco-index by 8%, 12%, and 18%, respectively. The eco-index was decreased by 31% in the optimized scenario with a renewable energy source and an increased conversion rate. The environmental impacts were compared with traditional methods at impact, damage, and eco-index levels. Finally, the implications on process arrangement in the flue gas system, the externality for power generation, and the contribution to the nitrogen circular economy were examined. The results can serve as a reference for its developers to improve the technology from the environmental perspective.

V2O5-WO3/TiO2 Catalyst for Efficient Synergistic Control of NOx and Chlorinated Organics: Insights into the Arsenic Effect

Municipal solid waste incineration and the iron and steel smelting industry can simultaneously discharge NO_x and chlorinated organics, particularly polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Synergistic control of these pollutants has been considered among the most cost-effective methods. This work combined experimental and computational methods to investigate the reaction characteristics of a catalytically synergistic approach and gives the first insight into the effect of arsenic (As) on the multipollutant conversion efficiency, synergistic reaction mechanism, and toxic byproduct distribution over a commercial V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst. The loaded As₂O₃ species were shown to distinctly decrease the formation energy of an oxygen vacancy at the V-O-V site, which likely contributed to the extensive formation of more toxic polychlorinated byproducts in the synergistic reaction. The As₂O₅ species strongly attacked neighboring V═O sites forming the As-O-V bands. Such an interaction deactivated the deNO_x reaction, but led to excessive NO being oxidized into NO₂ that greatly promoted the V⁵⁺-V⁴⁺ redox cycle and in turn facilitated chlorobenzene (CB) oxidation. Subsequent density functional theory (DFT) calculation further reveals that both the As₂O₃ and As₂O₅ loadings can facilitate H₂O adsorption on the V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst, leading to competitive adsorption between H₂O and CB, and thereby deactivate the CB oxidation with water stream.

Penetration of Arsenic and Deactivation of a Honeycomb V2O5-WO3/TiO2 Catalyst in a Glass Furnace

Deactivation of honeycomb V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts by arsenic has been studied widely in coal-fired power plants but rarely in glass furnaces. In this paper, deactivated catalysts that had been used for more than 4000 h were analyzed. We maintained the catalysts in their original monolith shape to retain their adhered substance and used appropriate methods to strip the substance layer by layer. With various characterization techniques, it was determined that the adhered substance was composed almost entirely of Na2SO4 and CaSO4. We also quantified the penetration depth of arsenic visually, which was more than 370 μm. A three-stage penetration and deactivation process induced by arsenic was proposed. It was pointed out that molten and volatile As2O3 played a key role in the deactivation process, while substances in the solid state had little impact on the deep bulk of the catalyst. In this study, we proposed an integrated deactivation process consisting of adhesion, penetration, and deactivation in a honeycomb V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst by arsenic in a glass furnace. Finally, we also provided guidance on alleviating the deactivation caused by arsenic. The key is to convert molten and volatile As2O3 to solid-state substances before it contacts the catalyst.

Multipollutant Control (MPC) of Flue Gas from Stationary Sources Using SCR Technology: A Critical Review

The emission of gaseous pollutants from the combustion of fossil fuels is believed to be one of the most serious environmental challenges in the 21st century. Given the increasing demands of multipollutant control (MPC) via adsorption or catalysis technologies, such as NO_x, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals (Hg etc.), and ammonia, and considering investment costs and site space, the use of existing equipment, especially the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to convert pollutants into harmless or readily adsorbed substances, is one of the most practical approaches. Consequently, many efforts have been directed at achieving the simultaneous elimination of multipollutants in a SCR convertor, and this method has been widely used to mitigate the stationary emission of NO_x. However, the development of active, selective, stable, and multifunctional catalysts/adsorbents suitable for large-scale commercialization remains challenging. Herein, we summarize recent works on the applications of SCR in MPC, describing the approaches of (i) SCR + VOCs oxidation, (ii) SCR + heavy metal control, and (iii) SCR + NH₃ reduction to reveal that the efficiency of simultaneous elimination depends on catalyst composition and flue gas parameters. Furthermore, the synergistic promotional/inhibitory effects between SCR and VOCs/ammonia/heavy metal oxidations are shown to be the key to the feasibility of the reactions.

Self-Protected CeO2-SnO2@SO42-/TiO2 Catalysts with Extraordinary Resistance to Alkali and Heavy Metals for NOx Reduction

Reducing the poisoning effect of alkali and heavy metals over ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) catalysts is still an intractable issue, as the presence of K and Pb in fly ash greatly hampers their catalytic activity by impairing the acidity and affecting the redox properties of the catalysts, leading to the reduction in the lifetime of SCR catalysts. To address this issue, we propose a novel self-protected antipoisoning mechanism by designing SO₄^2-/TiO₂ superacid supported CeO₂-SnO₂ catalysts. Owing to the synergistic effect between CeO₂ and SnO₂ and the strong acidity originating from the SO₄^2-/TiO₂ superacid, the catalysts show superior catalytic activity over a wide temperature range (240-510 °C). Moreover, when K or/and Pb are deposited on SO₄^2-/TiO₂ catalysts, the bond effect between SO₄^2- and Ti-O would be broken so that the sulfate in the bulk of SO₄^2-/TiO₂ superacid support would be induced to migrate to the surface to bond with K and Pb, thus prohibiting poisons from attacking the Ce-Sn active sites, and significantly boosting the resistance. Hopefully, this novel self-protection mechanism derived from the migration of sulfate in the SO₄^2-/TiO₂ superacid to resist alkali and heavy metals provides a new avenue for designing novel catalysts with outstanding resistance to alkali and heavy metals.

Modified red mud catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides: Impact mechanism of cerium precursors on surface physicochemical properties

Red mud, as industrial solid waste, causes severe environmental problems such as soil alkalization and groundwater pollution. In this work, we researched and developed the red mud as a selective catalytic reduction catalyst for NO_x removal with NH₃ (NH₃-SCR). After selective dissolution and specific heat treatment, different Ce precursors were used to modifying its physical and chemical properties. The results showed that Ce(NO₃)₃ and Ce(NH₄)₂(NO₃)₆ modified red mud (RMcn and RMcan) had excellent SCR performance below 300 °C. Ce(SO₄)₂ modified red mud (RMcs) showed relatively low NO_x conversions at 200-300 °C. The redox property was improved with the Ce(NO₃)₃ and Ce(NH₄)₂(NO₃)₆, while depressed with the Ce(SO₄)₂. Agglomerates generated on the RMcs and blocked the accumulated pores due to the formation of Ce₂(SO₄)₃. The surface acidity of RMcs enhanced with increased adsorption for ammonia. However, these new adsorbed ammonia species, highly related to the sulfate from the Ce₂(SO₄)₃, were inert and did not react with the adsorbed or gaseous NO species at 200-300 °C. The abundant surface lattice oxygen from CeO₂ microcrystals improved the catalytic oxidation capacity of the RMcn and RMcan.

Alkali and Phosphorus Resistant Zeolite-like Catalysts for NOx Reduction by NH3

At present, the deactivation of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts caused by the coexistence of alkali metal and phosphorus (P) remains an urgent problem and lacks corresponding strategies against catalyst poisoning. Herein, a novel zeolite-like Ce-Si₅Al₂O_x catalyst derived from an ultrasmall nanozeolite EMT precursor was synthesized without organic templates at ambient temperature. This catalyst was able to maintain above 95% NO_x conversion in the 270-540 °C temperature range. Moreover, 1 wt % potassium (K) and 5 wt % P loading had no influence on the SCR performance of the Ce-Si₅Al₂O_x catalyst at 300-480 °C. It was demonstrated that cerium (Ce) was highly dispersed in the amorphous aluminum (Al) silicate derived from EMT zeolites and expressed high catalytic performance. Besides, a large number of acid sites were reserved to absorb ammonia allowing effective participation in the SCR reaction and capturing alkali metals, thus improving the SCR performance and K resistance. Additionally, the strong interaction between Ce and aluminosilicate decreased cerium phosphate production, preventing deactivation of the catalysts. Thus, this novel low-cost zeolite-like Ce-Si₅Al₂O_x catalyst with a highly active ion-exchanged metal phase and abundant surface acid sites paves a way for designing new efficient and poisoning-resistant SCR catalysts for practical applications.

Insights into modified red mud for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx: Activation mechanism of targeted leaching

Red mud (RM) is a solid waste rich in iron oxide, which has the potential to be utilized as the catalyst for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x. We pretreated the RM sample with the selective acid leaching method, after which 97.6 % of the alkali was neutralized, and only 8 % of the Fe₂O₃ were leached out. Once leached, the RM samples were activated for the SCR reaction. It showed NO_x conversions above 90 % in 310-430 °C and exhibited high resistance to SO₂ and H₂O. After leaching, i. the S_BET reached twice as before; ii. the sintering caused by alkali was eliminated; iii. the activated RM exhibited improved Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio and enhanced chemisorbed surface oxygen (O_α); iv. the oxygen mobility and the surface acidity were promoted. Overall, the selective acid leaching is an efficient method to activate RM for the SCR reaction. The RM based catalysts can be an alternative for SCR technology.

Fe2O3/HY Catalyst: A Microporous Material with Zeolite-Type Framework Achieving Highly Improved Alkali Poisoning-Resistant Performance for Selective Reduction of NOx with NH3

The commercially available V₂O₅/WO₃-TiO₂ is a well-known catalyst for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH₃. When alkali ions are present in the exhaust (e.g., as impurities such as dust) of a reactor containing commercial V₂O₅/WO₃-TiO₂, alkali poisoning occurs, deactivating the catalyst. Consequently, there is substantial interest in the development of better-performing and more durable NH₃-SCR catalysts with an improved resistance to alkali deactivation. For the present study, the protonated (H⁺) form of zeolite Y, HY, was used as a support and acted as buffer zone, leading to trapping (sticking) of foreign alkali poisons in the zeolite pore structure, preventing alkali poisoning of the Fe₂O₃/HY catalyst. Catalytic tests showed that the Fe₂O₃/HY retained 100% of its original catalytic reactivity for NH₃-SCR reaction even after 1000 μmol Na⁺ g^-1 poisoning. 1000 μmol Na⁺ g^-1 treatment indicates a 26 000-h exposure under an alkaline dust-containing condition. In contrast, upon 1000 μmol Na⁺ g^-1 treatment, severe alkali deactivation occurred for a commercial V₂O₅/WO₃-TiO₂. The catalyst activity of Fe₂O₃/HY remained unchanged because of the intercalation of Na⁺ in the internal HY zeolite pores that impedes the blocking of Na⁺ poison to the external active sites of Fe₂O₃. The findings in this work suggest that the zeolite HY may be revealed as an attractive building block for designing an alkali poisoning-resistant catalyst.

Unraveling the Unexpected Offset Effects of Cd and SO2 Deactivation over CeO2-WO3/TiO2 Catalysts for NOx Reduction

It is challenging for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x by NH₃ due to the coexistence of heavy metal and SO₂ in the flue gas. A thorough probe into deactivation mechanisms is imperative but still lacking. This study unravels unexpected offset effects of Cd and SO₂ deactivation over CeO₂-WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts, potential candidates for commercial SCR catalysts. Cd- and SO₂-copoisoned catalysts demonstrated higher activity for NO_x reduction than a Cd-poisoned catalyst but lower than that for an SO₂-poisoned catalyst. In comparison to SO₂, Cd had more severe effects on acidic and redox properties, distinctly decreasing the SCR activity. After sulfation of Cd-poisoned catalysts, SO₄^2- preferentially bonded with the surface CdO and released CeO₂ active sites poisoned by CdO, thus reserving the highly active CeO₂-WO₃ sites and maintaining a high activity. The sulfation of Cd-poisoned catalysts also provided more strong acidic sites, and the synergistic effects between the formed cerium sulfate and CeO₂ contributed to the high-temperature SCR performance. This work sheds light on the deactivation mechanism of heavy metals and SO₂ over CeO₂-WO₃/TiO₂ catalysts and provides an innovative pathway for inventing high-performance SCR catalysts, which have great resistance to heavy metals and SO₂ simultaneously. This will be favorable to academic and practical applications in the future.

The poisoning mechanisms of different zinc species on a ceria-based NH3-SCR catalyst and the co-effects of zinc and gas-phase sulfur/chlorine species

Low-medium temperature NH₃-SCR technology has been applied for years in municipal solid wastes incineration (MSWI) to control the emissions of nitrogen oxides. Unlike coal-fired flue gases, the tail gas from MSWI contains high levels of heavy metals in fly ash, especially the zinc species, which may harm SCR catalysts. As such, in this paper, the deactivation mechanism of different zinc species (ZnO, ZnSO₄ and ZnCl₂) on the Sb-CeZr₂O_x catalysts and the co-effects of zinc species and gas-phase pollutants (including SO₂ and HCl) were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the deactivation rate of various poisoning zinc species was in the order of ZnCl₂ > ZnSO₄ > ZnO. Moreover, the interactions between zinc and antimony species would disrupt the structure of the Sb-Ce mixed oxides to decrease the redox ability, consequently suppressing the ammonia activation and NO adsorption. Furthermore, such damaging effects on catalyst structures would promote the formation of bulk-like sulfate species in the presence of SO₂, resulting in a decreased mobility of surface oxygen species, which significantly decrease the sulfur resistance. However, the presence of HCl did not show an evident co-effect on the Zn poisoned sample owing to the limited coverage of the chlorine deposition.

Titania-Samarium-Manganese Composite Oxide for the Low-Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3

A novel Ti-doped Sm-Mn mixed oxide (TiSmMnO_x) was first designed for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x with NH₃ at a low temperature. The TiSmMnO_x catalyst exhibited a superior catalytic performance, in which NO_x conversion higher than 80% and N₂ selectivity above 90% could be achieved in a wide-operating temperature window (60-225 °C). Specially, the catalyst also showed high durability against the large space velocity and excellent SO₂/H₂O resistance. Ti incorporation can efficiently inhibit MnO_x crystallization and tune the MnO_x phase during calcination at a high temperature. Subsequently, a high specific surface area as well as an increased amount of acid sites on the TiSmMnO_x catalysts were produced. Further, the reducibility of the Sm-doped MnO_x catalyst was modulated, facilitating NO oxidation and inhibiting NH₃ nonselective oxidation. Consequently, a superior SCR activity was achieved at a low temperature and the operating temperature window of the TiSmMnO_x catalyst was significantly widened. These findings may provide new insights into the reasonable design and development of the new non-vanadium catalysts with a high NH₃-SCR activity for industrial application.

Effect of CaCO3 on catalytic activity of Fe–Ce/Ti catalysts for NH3-SCR reaction

In the present work, fresh and Ca poisoned Fe–Ce/Ti catalysts were prepared and used for the NH₃-SCR reaction to investigate the effect of Ca doping on the catalytic activity of catalysts. And these catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, Raman, UV-vis DRS, XPS, H₂-TPR, and NH₃-TPD techniques. The obtained results demonstrate that Ca doping could lead to an obvious decrease in the catalytic activity of catalysts. The reasons for this may be due to the smaller specific surface area and pore volume, the decreased ratio of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ and Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺, as well as the reduced redox ability and surface acidity.

In the present work, fresh and Ca poisoned Fe–Ce/Ti catalysts were prepared and used for the NH₃-SCR reaction to investigate the effect of Ca doping on the catalytic activity of catalysts.