Inhibiting effect of C3H6 on the performance of Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts for NH3 selective catalytic reduction

Abstract

Hydrocarbons (HCs) have been found to be a potential source of catalyst poisoning in ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) of NOx. As one of the predominant constituents of hydrocarbons, propene (C3H6) was selected to investigate its inhibitory effect on Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts utilized in the NH3-SCR reaction. The results of standard SCR tests mixing C3H6 and NH3 showed that the NH3-SCR activity of Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts was inhibited in the range of 150–650 °C with the introduction of C3H6 and the NOx conversion was lowest in the presence of 2000 ppm C3H6. The competitive adsorption and NH3 oxidation activity were extensively studied. It was found that NH3 and C3H6 could both be stored on Brønsted acid sites and Cu sites. The introduction of C3H6 during NH3-TPD experiments caused an increase of weakly adsorbed NH3 on the weak Lewis acid sites and a decrease of adsorbed NH3 on the strong Lewis acid sites and Brønsted acid sites, confirming the existence of the competitive adsorption between NH3 and C3H6. Based on TPO experiments, C3H6 enhanced the NH3 oxidation activities in the temperature range of 250–650 °C, and coke deposition might be generated on the catalysts, causing the decline of NOx conversion during NH3-SCR with C3H6.