Boosting NOx Removal by Perovskite-Based Catalyst in NSR–SCR Diesel Aftertreatment Systems

Characterization of the H2/NOx reaction process over the La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst

An excellent textual properties and performance La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst was synthesized. The reaction mechanism of H2/NOx over the La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst was investigated by temperature programmed reduction/ desorption/ surface reaction (TPR/D/SR) technologies and in-situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform (DRIFT) technology. The results show that cerium or palladium species are inserted into the cells of LaCoO3, as well as they synergetic promote the redox properties of the La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst. Surface activated nitrates exist over the La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst, with thermal stable increasing in the order: absorbed N2O4 < monodentate nitrates < chelating bidentate nitrates < nitrates unidentate < free ionic nitrates < bulk free ionic nitrates. H2 preferentially reacted with absorbed N2O4 and monodentate nitrates at low temperatures, due to their high activity. The concentration of generated NH3 from the redox reaction of H2/NOx achieves the maximum value between 350 and 450 °C over the La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst. Compared with the NOx adsorption process at 50 °C, monodentate nitrates and absorbed N2O4 disappeared due to their low thermal stability, chelating bidentate nitrates become stronger, as well as free ionic nitrates converted to bulk free ionic nitrates with higher thermal stability at 350 °C. When H2 is exposed to NOx species adsorbed on La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3, chelating bidentate nitrates and bulk free ionic nitrates are consumed gradually, indicating that although the bulk free ionic nitrates own high stability, it also could be consumed by involving in the H2/NOx reaction at 350 °C. The quantitative H2/NO reaction experiments confirmed the results of H2-TPSR and NSR. It is beneficial to the formation of NH3 when the H2/NO ratio is more than 2.5. Comparing traditional Pt-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst, the La0.9Ce0.1Co0.9Pd0.1O3-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst exhibit an excellent performance, including considerable NH3 production property, lower N2O selectivity, and the precious metal saving.

Comparison of Cu-CHA-Zeolites in the Hybrid NSR-SCR Catalytic System for NOx Abatement in Mobile Sources

DeNOx activity in a NSR–SCR hybrid system of two copper-containing chabazite-type zeolitic catalysts was addressed. A Pt-Ba-K/Al2O3 model catalyst was used as the NSR (NOx storage and reduction) catalyst. For the SCR (selective catalytic reduction) system, two Cu-CHA zeolites were synthesized employing a single hydrothermal synthesis method assisted with ultrasound and incorporating Cu in a 2 wt.%, 2Cu-SAPO-34 and 2Cu-SSZ-13. The prepared catalysts were characterized, and the crystallinity, surface area, pore size, HR-TEM and EDX mapping, coordination of Cu ions and acidity were compared. The NH3 storage capacity of the SCR catalysts was 1890 and 837 μmol NH3·gcat−1 for 2Cu-SAPO-34 and 2Cu-SSZ-13, respectively. DeNOx activity was evaluated for the single NSR system and the double-bed NSR–SCR by employing alternating lean (3%O2) and rich (1%H2) cycles, maintaining a concentration of 600 ppm NO, 1.5% H2O and 0.3% CO2 between 200 and 350 °C. The addition of the SCR system downstream of the NSR catalyst significantly improved NOx conversion mainly at low temperature, maintaining the selectivity to N2 above 80% and reaching values above 90% at 250 °C when the 2Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst was located. The total reduction in the production of NH3 and ~2% of N2O was observed when comparing the NSR–SCR configuration with the single NSR catalyst.

Advances in Designing Efficient La-Based Perovskites for the NOx Storage and Reduction Process

To overcome the inherent challenge of NOx reduction in the net oxidizing environment of diesel engine exhaust, the NOx storage and reduction (NSR) concept was proposed in 1995, soon developed and commercialized as a promising DeNOx technique over the past two decades. Years of practice suggest that it is a tailor-made technique for light-duty diesel vehicles, with the advantage of being space saving, cost effective, and efficient in NOx abatement; however, the over-reliance of NSR catalysts on high loadings of Pt has always been the bottleneck for its wide application. There remains fervent interest in searching for efficient, economical, and durable alternatives. To date, La-based perovskites are the most explored promising candidate, showing prominent structural and thermal stability and redox property. The perovskite-type oxide structure enables the coupling of redox and storage centers with homogeneous distribution, which maximizes the contact area for NOx spillover and contributes to efficient NOx storage and reduction. Moreover, the wide range of possible cationic substitutions in perovskite generates great flexibility, yielding various formulations with interesting features desirable for the NSR process. Herein, this review provides an overview of the features and performances of La-based perovskite in NO oxidation, NOx storage, and NOx reduction, and in this way comprehensively evaluates its potential to substitute Pt and further improve the DeNOx efficiency of the current NSR catalyst. The fundamental structure–property relationships are summarized and highlighted to instruct rational catalyst design. The critical research needs and essential aspects in catalyst design, including poisoner resistance and catalyst sustainability, are finally addressed to inspire the future development of perovskite material for practical application.

Aftertreatment Technologies for Diesel Engines: An Overview of the Combined Systems

The abatement of the pollutants deriving from diesel engines in the vehicle sector still represents an interesting scientific and technological challenge due to increasingly limiting regulations. Meeting the stringent limits of NOx and soot emissions requires a catalytic system with great complexity, size of units, and number of units, as well as increased fuel consumption. Thus, an after-treatment device for a diesel vehicle requires the use of an integrated catalyst technology for a reduction in the individual emissions of exhaust gas. The representative technologies devoted to the reduction of NOx under lean-burn operation conditions are selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and the lean NOx trap (LNT), while soot removal is mainly performed by filters (DPF). These devices are normally used in sequence, or a combination of them has been proposed to overcome the drawbacks of the individual devices. This review summarizes the current state of NOx and soot abatement strategies. The main focus of this review is on combined technologies for NOx removal (i.e., LNT–SCR) and for the simultaneous removal of NOx and soot, like SCR-on-Filter (SCRoF), in series LNT/DPF and SCR/DPF, and LNT/DPF and SCR/DPF hybrid systems.