Exploring the joint influence of SO2 and alkali metal on FeW mixed oxides catalyst for NOx elimination

Abstract

The coexistence of multiple substances in the flue gas, such as alkali metal and SO2, results in the NH3-SCR catalysts suffering from serious deactivation. Therefore, we systematically studied the effects of coexisting SO2 and Na on the FeW oxides for NOx elimination. This study elucidates that the joint influence mechanism of these substances on SCR activity was regulated by reaction temperatures. When the temperature was below 300oC, the catalyst suffered a double whammy. The addition of SO2 in process of NH3-SCR resulted in a decrease in the activity of Na-poisoned FeW catalyst. It was largely due to the formation of inorganic SO42-, which not only consumed the NH3 but also blocked active sites. With the increase of reaction temperatures above 300oC, the SO2 could interact with Na2O to construct a ternary electron interaction of SO42--Na+-FeW, contributing to the improvement of alkali metal resistance. This sulfate adjusted the D-band center energy of the catalyst closer to the Fermi level, thereby boosting the adsorption energies of NH3 and NO, increasing their adsorption abilities. Furthermore, sulfate binding broke the Na-O-Fe and Na-O-W bonds, resulting in the restoration of Fe-O-W and Fe-O-Fe active sites and accumulation of Na+ species. Precise characterizations and theoretical calculations shed light on the joint mechanism of SO2 and alkali metals which provide guidance to the design SCR catalyst with excellent resistance to SO2 and alkali metal poisoning.