Environmental Technology (Cranfield, UK) 2012-01-01

Room temperature removal of NO by activated carbon fibres loaded with urea and La2O3.

Pei Lu, Zheng Zeng, Caiting Li, Guangming Zeng, Jing Guo, Xiao Jiang, Yunbo Zhai, Xiaopeng Fan

Index: Environ. Technol. 33(7-9) , 1029-36, (2012)

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Abstract

In this paper, catalytic samples of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% (w/w) urea/activated carbon fibre (AFC), 10% urea--5% La2O3/ACF, 10% urea--10% La2O3/ACF, 10% urea--15% La2O3/ACF, 20% urea--5% La2O3/ACF, 20% urea--10% La2O3/ACF, and 20% urea-15% La2O3/ACF were prepared and used for removal of NO under the condition of: NO, 500 ppm; O2, 21%; N2, balance, gas space velocity = 10000 m3 x h(-1) m(-3), total gas flow = 266.7 mL min(-1), temperature = 30 degreesC, relative humidity = 0%. The physical and chemical properties of the prepared catalysts were characterized by surface area measurements (BET) and scanning electron microscopy studies. Furthermore, the catalytic stability of 10% urea--5% La2O3/ACF under different concentrations of NO and O2 were also studied. The results showed that, among the prepared urea/ACF samples, 20% urea/ACF yielded the highest NO conversion at room temperature. Meanwhile, among the prepared urea--La2O3/ACF catalysts, 10% urea--5% La2O3/ACF yielded the highest NO conversion. Both 20% urea/ACF and 10% urea--5% La2O3/ACF could yield over 95% NO conversion at ambient temperature. However, 10% urea--5% La2O3/ACF had a more stable activity than that of 20% urea/ACF. The catalytic and characterization experimental results, including BET, thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared analysis, showed that the NO selective catalytic reduction mechanism of urea-La2O3/ACF was different from that of ACF and urea/ACF. The NO was purified by ACF mainly by adsorption, whereas there was mainly a reduction reaction when NO was purified by urea/ACF or urea-La2O3/ACF. ACF-C was not only the catalyst but also the reducing agent for urea/ACF, whereas, for urea-La2O3/ACF, the catalytic centre was La2O3, and ACF was mainly the carrier. These differences resulted in the higher and more stable NO removal by 10% urea--5% La2O3/ACF.