Study of nitric oxide catalytic oxidation on manganese oxides-loaded activated carbon at low temperature

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is an air pollutant that is difficult to remove at low concentration and low temperature. Manganese oxides (MnOx)-loaded activated carbon (MLAC) was prepared by a co-precipitation method and studied as a new catalyst for NO oxidation at low temperature. Characterization of MLAC included X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Activity tests demonstrated the influence of the amount of MnOx and the test conditions on the reaction. MLAC with 7.5wt.% MnOx (MLAC003) exhibits the highest NO conversion (38.7%) at 1000ppm NO, 20 vol.% O2, room temperature and GHSV ca. 16000h−1. The NO conversion of MLAC003 was elevated by 26% compared with that of activated carbon. The results of the MLAC003 activity test under different test conditions demonstrated that NO conversion is also influenced by inlet NO concentration, inlet O2 concentration, reaction temperature and GHSV. The NO adsorption-desorption process in micropores of activated carbon is fundamental to NO oxidation, which can be controlled by pore structure and reaction temperature. The activity elevation caused by MnOx loading is assumed to be related to Mn4+/Mn3+ ratio. Finally, a mechanism of NO catalytic oxidation on MLAC based on NO adsorption-desorption and MnOx lattice O transfer is proposed.