Catalysis in Diesel engine NOxaftertreatment: a review

The Oscillatory Behaviour of Cu-ZSM-5 Catalysts for N2O Decomposition: Investigation of Cu Species by Complementary Techniques

Copper-exchanged ZSM-5 (Cu-ZSM-5) is a promising catalyst thanks to the Cu redox pair. A particular feature of this material consists in the presence of spontaneous isothermal oscillations which take place during N2O decomposition reaction, depending on the operating conditions. In the present work, a set of five Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts was synthesised by three procedures and three different copper precursor concentrations: i) wet impregnation, ii) single ion exchange, and iii) double ion exchange. Catalytic tests revealed that the ion-exchanged samples exhibit a low catalytic activity and no oscillatory behaviour, except for the twice-exchanged sample which achieves an average N2O conversion of 26 % at 400 °C. Conversely, the impregnated samples reach higher levels of N2O conversion (66 % for Cu5ZSM5_WI and 72 % for Cu10ZSM5_WI) and demonstrate a similar oscillating pattern. Further investigations disclosed that the most active catalysts, characterised by the presence of oscillatory behaviour, have more abundant and easily reducible copper species (ICP, EDX and H2-TPR) which interact better with the zeolitic support (FT-IR). Catalytic tests under a long time on stream (TOS) suggest that either self-organised patterns or deterministic chaos can be achieved during the reaction, depending on the operating conditions, such as temperature and contact time.

Catalytic activity of Cu/η-Al2O3 catalysts prepared from aluminum scraps in the NH3-SCO and in the NH3-SCR of NO

Copper-loaded η-alumina catalysts with different copper contents were prepared by impregnation/evaporation method. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-Vis, and H₂-TPR and evaluated, for the first time, in the selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH₃ and in the selective catalytic oxidation of NH₃. The characterization techniques showed that the impregnation/evaporation method permits to obtain highly dispersed copper oxide species on the η-alumina surface when a low amount of copper is used (1wt. % and 2 wt.%). The wet impregnation method made it possible to reach a well dispersion of the copper species on the surface of the alumina for the low copper contents Cu(1)-Al₂O₃ and Cu(2)-Al₂O₃. The latter justifies the similar behavior of Cu(1)-Al₂O₃) and Cu(2)-Al₂O₃ in the selective catalytic oxidation of NH₃ where these catalysts exhibit a conversion of NH₃ to N₂ of the order of 100% at T> 500 °C.

Real-world NOx emissions from heavy-duty diesel, natural gas, and diesel hybrid electric vehicles of different vocations on California roadways

This study assessed the real-world nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from 50 heavy-duty vehicles of different vocations and engine technologies using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS). This is one of the most comprehensive in-use emissions studies conducted to date, which played a key role in the development of CARB's (California Air Recourses Board) updated EMission FACtor (EMFAC) model, especially for natural gas vehicles. In-use emissions testing was performed on school and transit buses, refuse haulers, goods movement vehicles, and delivery vehicles while were driven over their normal operating routes in the South Coast Air Basin. Engine technologies included diesel engines with and without selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, compressed natural gas (CNG) engines and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) engines, and SCR-equipped diesel hybrid electric vehicles. For most vehicles, the in-use NOx emissions were higher than the certification standards for the engine. Diesel vehicles generally showed higher brake-specific NOx emissions compared to the CNG vehicles. NOx emissions were strongly dependent on the SCR temperature, with SCR temperatures below 200 °C resulting in elevate brake-specific NOx. The 0.02 g/bhp-hr certified CNG vehicles showed the largest reductions in NOx emissions. The diesel hybrid electric vehicles showed important distance-specific NOx benefits compared to the conventional diesel vehicles, but higher emissions compared to the CNG and LPG vehicles. Overall, average NOx reductions were 75%, 94%, 65%, 79%, respectively, for the 0.2 CNG, 0.02 CNG, diesel hybrid electric, and LPG vehicles compared to diesel vehicles, due in part to some diesel vehicles with particularly high emissions, indicating that the widespread implementation of advanced technology and alternative fuel vehicles could provide important NOx reductions and a path for meeting air quality targets in California and elsewhere.

Mechanistic insights into NO‒H2 reaction over Pt/boron-doped graphene catalyst

This work presents a systematical experimental and density functional theory (DFT) studies to reveal the mechanism of NO reduction by H₂ reaction over platinum nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on boron-doped graphene (denoted as Pt/BG) catalyst. Both characterizations and DFT calculations identified boron (in Pt/BG) as an additional NO adsorption site other than the widely recognized Pt NPs. Moreover, BG led to a decrease of Pt NPs size in Pt/BG, which facilitated hydrogen spillover. The mathematical and physical criteria of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood dual-site kinetic model over the Pt/BG were satisfied, indicating that adsorbed NO on boron (in Pt/BG) was further activated by H-spillover. On the other hand, Pt/graphene (Pt/Gr) demonstrated a typical Langmuir-Hinshelwood single-site mechanism where Pt NPs solely served as active sites for NO adsorption. This work helps understand NO-H₂ reaction over Pt/BG and Pt/Gr catalysts in a closely mechanistic view and provides new insights into roles of active sites for improving the design of catalysts for NO abatement.

Insight into the mechanism of boron-doping of carbon aerogel for enhancing the activity of low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

Boron doped carbon aerogel could increase the number of active sites effectively and enhance NO reduction to N₂via NH₃-SCR.

Properties of Iron-Modified-by-Silver Supported on Mordenite as Catalysts for NOx Reduction

A series of mono and bimetallic catalysts based on a Fe-Ag mixture deposited on mordenite was prepared by ion-exchange and evaluated in the catalytic activity test of the de-NOx reaction in the presence of CO/C3H6. The activity results showed that the most active samples were the Fe-containing ones, and at high temperatures, a co-promoter effect of Ag on the activity of Fe catalysts was also observed. The influence of the order of cation deposition on catalysts formation and their physicochemical properties was studied by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) of adsorbed NO, XANES (X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure), and EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) and discussed in terms of the state of iron. Results of Fe K-edge XANES oscillations showed that, in FeMOR catalysts, iron was present in a disordered state as Fe3+ and Fe2+. In FeAgMOR, the prevailing species was Fe3+, while in the AgFeMOR catalyst, the state of iron was intermediate or mixed between FeMOR and FeAgMOR. The Fe K-edge EXAFS results were characteristic of a disordered phase, the first coordination sphere being asymmetric with two different Fe-O distances. In FeAgMOR and AgFeMOR, coordination of Fe-O was similar to Fe2O3 with a few amount of Fe2+ species. We may conclude that, in the bimetallic FeAgMOR and AgFeMOR samples, a certain amount of tetrahedral Al3+ ions in the mordenite framework is replaced by Fe3+ ions, confirming the previous reports that these species are active sites for the de-NOx reaction. Based on the thermodynamic analysis and experimental data, also, it was confirmed that the order of deposition of the components influenced the mechanism of active sites’ formation during the two steps ion-exchange synthesis.

Advanced Opacified Fiber-Reinforced Silica-Based Aerogel Composites for Superinsulation of Exhaust Tubing Systems in Semi-Stationary Motors

Within this study, monolithic three-dimensional silica aerogel (SA) composite parts with super insulating properties are presented. A generic part based on fiber-reinforced (FR) silica aerogel for thermal insulation of the exhaust tubing system—to keep the exhaust gases as hot as possible to improve the efficiency of the catalyst system—was produced via a sol-gel-based molding process in combination with a supercritical drying using scCO₂. A thermal conductivity of 16 mW m⁻¹ K⁻¹ was measured via a heat flow meter technique. In this manuscript, we present a full cycle of the material compound design, starting with fundamental material evaluation including aerogel optimization, opacifier influence, and casting process. The obtained generic part in shape of a half-shell for pipe insulation is characterized under real conditions.

On-Board Sensor-Based NO x Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles

Real-world nitrogen oxides (NO _x) emissions were estimated using on-board sensor readings from 72 heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) equipped with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system in California. The results showed that there were large differences between in-use and certification NO _x emissions, with 12 HDDVs emitting more than three times the standard during hot-running and idling operations in the real world. The overall NO _x conversion efficiencies of the SCR system on many vehicles were well below the 90% threshold that is expected for an efficient SCR system, even when the SCR system was above the optimum operating temperature threshold of 250 °C. This could potentially be associated with SCR catalyst deterioration on some engines. The Not-to-Exceed (NTE) requirements currently used by the heavy-duty in-use compliance program were evaluated using on-board NO _x sensor data. Valid NTE events covered only 4.2-16.4% of the engine operation and 6.6-34.6% of the estimated NO _x emissions. This work shows that low cost on-board NO _x sensors are a convenient tool to monitor in-use NO _x emissions in real-time, evaluate the SCR system performance, and identify vehicle operating modes with high NO _x emissions. This information can inform certification and compliance programs to ensure low in-use NO _x emissions.

Superior low-temperature NO catalytic performance of PrMn2O5 over SmMn2O5 mullite-type catalysts

PrMn₂O₅ is demonstrated as a superior catalyst compared to SmMn₂O₅ for low temperature NO oxidation, both experimentally and theoretically.

From metal-supported oxides to well-defined metal site zeolites: the next generation of passive NOxadsorbers for low-temperature control of emissions from diesel engines

Passive NO_xadsorbers as new components to complement SCR catalysts to control cold-start NO_xemissions efficiently.

Detection and structural characterization of nitrosamide H2NNO: A central intermediate in deNOx processes

The structure and bonding of H₂NNO, the simplest N-nitrosamine, and a key intermediate in deNO_x processes, have been precisely characterized using a combination of rotational spectroscopy of its more abundant isotopic species and high-level quantum chemical calculations. Isotopic spectroscopy provides compelling evidence that this species is formed promptly in our discharge expansion via the NH₂ + NO reaction and is collisionally cooled prior to subsequent unimolecular rearrangement. H₂NNO is found to possess an essentially planar geometry, an NNO angle of 113.67(5)°, and a N-N bond length of 1.342(3) Å; in combination with the derived nitrogen quadrupole coupling constants, its bonding is best described as an admixture of uncharged dipolar (H₂N-N=O, single bond) and zwitterion (H₂N⁺=N-O^-, double bond) structures. At the CCSD(T) level, and extrapolating to the complete basis set limit, the planar geometry appears to represent the minimum of the potential surface, although the torsional potential of this molecule is extremely flat.

Effect of active component addition and support modification on catalytic activity of Ag/Al2O3 for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by hydrocarbon - A review

The effect of active component addition and support modification of Ag/Al₂O₃ has been reviewed to examine their contribution to HC-SCR of NOx. This review has depicted the possible mechanisms of reduction of NO by hydrocarbon using metal/metal oxide doped Ag/Al₂O₃. The addition of second metal results in the maximum formation of well dispersed Ag_n^δ+ clusters. Specifically, addition of Au improves the low-temperature activity of the catalyst. However, the role of second metal also depends on the pretreatment to the catalyst and nature of the reductants. The support modification of Ag/Al₂O₃ by the addition of different metal oxides has also been reviewed. Modification by MgO showed improvement in activity besides sulfur tolerance. In situ DRIFT study demonstrates that the modification by MgO leads to the inhibition of sulfate formation of Ag and Al₂O₃. Enhancement in activity after second metal addition and support modification attributed to the synergistic effect and improved surface properties of Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst.