Investigation of an irreversible NOx storage degradation Mode on a Pd/BEA passive NOx adsorber

Passive NOx adsorbers (PNAs) are a proposed solution for cold start NOx emissions, via low temperature NOx trapping and subsequent release at a temperature where downstream NOx reduction catalysts are active. Pd/zeolites have been reported to have significant NOx storage capacities. However, their real exhaust compatibility has not been completely evaluated. In this work, Pd/BEA was used to study the mechanism of an observed PNA degradation. NO adsorption, NO and CO co-adsorption and temperature programmed desorption/oxidation were performed on a series of differently aged Pd/BEA catalysts to evaluate the NOx storage capacity and desorption temperature. An irreversible NOx storage degradation mode caused by low temperature CO exposure was observed. H-2 temperature programmed reduction results indicate this irreversible degradation can be attributed to the loss of Pd2+. Additionally, STEM images revealed Pd particle migration/agglomeration after hydrothermal aging and CO/H-2 exposure. Larger particles, formed during CO exposure, lead to the irreversible degradation.