Molecule sieving catalysts for NO reduction with hydrocarbons in exhaust of lean burn gasoline and diesel engines

Abstract

NO oxidation catalysts with small pores and low hydrocarbon oxidation activity owing to molecular sieving were prepared by dispersing platinum in the pores of ferrierite and chabazite zeolites. These small pore platinum zeolite crystals were physically mixed with large pore silver mordenite zeolite crystals and evaluated as HC-SCR catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO in a synthetic gas mixture doped with octane or isooctane, mimicking exhaust from lean burning engines with unburned hydrocarbons. A synergetic effect on N2 formation and hydrocarbon efficiency was obtained in these physical zeolite mixtures. In the pores of the small pore zeolite where the diffusion of NO, O2 and NO2 molecules with small kinetic diameters was rapid, NO was effectively oxidized by the platinum into NO2, while the small window apertures suppressed the diffusion and reaction of the hydrocarbon. The silver plated large pore zeolite catalyzed the reaction between the NO2 formed in the small pore zeolite and the hydrocarbon. The importance of molecular sieving was demonstrated in experiments with permutation of pore sizes and catalytic functions.