CuOx and KNO3 supported on Cordierite catalysts. Diesel soot combustion in presence of NO/O2

ILEANA DANIELA LICK; GUSTAVO FARÍAS; MARÍA SILVIA LEGUIZAMÓN APARICIO; SANDRA MOSCONI; MARÍA GLORIA GONZALEZ; MARTA I. PONZI; ESTHER N PONZI

Munich

Congreso; 15th International Congress on Catalysis 2012; 2012

German Catalysis Society

The emission of diesel engines due to the high content of particulate matter (PM) and to the presence of nitrogen oxides, among other pollutants, is harmful for the environment as well as for the human health. In order to decrease the emission of particulate matter, catalytic filters in the exhaust pipe are frequently used. Catalysts containing KNO3 show good activity for the Diesel soot combustion reaction. The role of KNO3 can be associated to: (i) increase of contact between soot and surface of the catalyst with the increase of possible effective collisions between soot and catalyst, generated by the melting of potassium nitrate on the catalytic surface, (ii) a redox reaction in which the nitrate is reduced to nitrite by reaction with carbon and again reoxidized to nitrate. Catalysts containing only alkaline nitrates present a disadvantage, they do not present total selectivity to CO2 and it is necessary to add transition metals able to oxidize the generated CO. The aim of this work is the study of KNO3 and copper oxides supported on cordierite catalysis for the diesel soot combustion reaction in presence of O2/inert and NO/O2/inert. Furthermore, several characterization techniques have been performed to study the nature of copper and potassium nitrate in these catalysts.