The reactions of NOX with diesel soot over Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst

Author

Shu Sun, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-31-1996

Degree Name

Master of Science in Applied Chemistry - (M.S.)

Department

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science

First Advisor

Henry Shaw

Second Advisor

Robert Pfeffer

Third Advisor

Barbara B. Kebbekus

Abstract

Air pollution from the exhaust of Diesel engines consisting of relatively high concentrations of NO_x and particulates is a difficult problem to overcome because no fully effective technology to control these emission is available. The existing methods to reduce NO_x and soot can not satisfy the provisions of the 1990 CAAA (Clean Air Act Amendment). Cu-ZSM-5, a catalyst in which Cu has been ion-exchanged with H+, can catalyze the decomposition of NO to N₂ and O₂ and reduction to N₂ and O₂ with light hydrocarbons such as propene or Diesel soot in the presence of oxygen. The latter catalytic approach, refered to as lean NO_x control, is attracting much attention in the automotive industry. Moreover, a new approach for using the catalyst to treat the exhaust from Diesel engines with a Rotating Fluidized Bed Reactor (RFBR) is being developed in Japan and at NJIT. This reactor captures soot at low power operation and reacts it with NO_x at high power allowing "self-cleaning" of these emissions from Diesel engines.

In order to better understand the chemistry taking place between NO_x and soot, a fixed bed was used to study the decomposition of NO_x and the reaction of NO_x with soot. The goal of the research is to find the optimal conditions that will allow maximum soot and NO_x destruction. Differences in decomposition activity were compared between NO and NO2 over Cu-ZSM-5, ZSM-5 and SiO₂/Al₂O₃. This was followed with experiments designed to study the ability of soot to reduce NO and NO₂ over the same catalyst. The effect of oxygen on the decomposition of NO_x and reduction of NO_x with soot was also evaluated.

Recommended Citation

Sun, Shu, "The reactions of NOX with diesel soot over Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst" (1996). Theses. 1788.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/1788