Competitive no, co and hydrocarbon oxidation reactions over a diesel oxidation catalyst

The oxidation of NO, CO and hydrocarbons (HC) individually, in mixtures, and with NO2 were investigated over a monolith-supported Pt/Al2O3 catalyst under oxidising conditions. Although competitive adsorption and inhibition by other species on oxidation reactions is a relatively well-known phenomenon, this study represents a more comprehensive examination of such effects between key components in vehicle exhaust gases. NO7 was completely reduced by CO and C3H6, under NO2 limited conditions, at temperatures as low as 110 degrees C and at temperatures above 140 degrees C with dodecane and m-xylene. NO2 was then again observed once the extent of oxidation of the other species by oxygen was significant. Under the conditions tested, NO, CO and HC oxidation was inhibited by NO2 in the feed gas mixture. HC were also found to inhibit the oxidation of NO and other HC species due to site adsorption competition. For CO, HC did not change the onset of oxidation, but did inhibit the extent after their light off began. At low temperatures, CO was initially found to inhibit NO oxidation, but at higher temperatures, once CO oxidation was significant, CO promoted NO conversion to NO2. The observed inhibition effects of the different gases on HC oxidation were not additive, indicating one species would cause inhibition, but once its inhibition ended, another species could still then cause inhibition. The combined effect of C3H6, NO and NO2 on CO conversion was found to be additive. This is because CO oxidation started prior C3H6. (c) 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering