Industrial H2-SCR of NO on a novel Pt/MgO–CeO2 catalyst

Abstract We describe here the performance of a novel MgO–CeO 2 -supported Pt (0.1 wt%) catalyst towards the selective conversion of NO into N 2 ( S N2  > 80%) by using H 2 (H 2 -SCR) under process conditions similar to those encountered in the NH 3 -SCR in the low-temperature range of 150–200 °C. At 200 °C, 100% conversion of NO and 85% N 2 -selectivity were obtained with a feed stream containing 1000 ppm NO, 5% O 2 , 5% H 2 O, 10% CO 2 , 0–0.5% CO, and using 1.5% H 2 in the feed as reducing agent (GHSV = 40,000 h −1 ). Thus, a N 2 -yield of 85% similar to that obtained in most NH 3 -SCR applications could make H 2 -SCR as the most environmentally friendly NO x control catalytic technology with great potential to replace the existing NH 3 -SCR technology. The latter is currently used industrially mainly in power and nitric acid plants, gas turbines, furnaces, boilers, and waste incinerators for the elimination of NO x . However, this technology faces several problems such as catalyst deterioration, emissions of non-reacted toxic NH 3 (ammonia slip), ash odor, air-heaters fouling, and a high running cost.