Catalytic combustion of diesel soot: Deactivation by SO2 of copper and potassium nitrate catalysts supported on alumina

The SO2 poisoning of Cu KNO3/Al2O3 catalysts used in the catalytic combustion of diesel soot with NO/O2 feed has been studied in this work. Fresh catalysts show temperatures of maximum combustion rate (Tmax) at about 470, 375 and 368 °C for Cu/Al2O3, KNO3/Al2O3 and Cu KNO3/Al2O3 respectively. Poisoned catalysts decrease the activity and techniques of vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) suggest the KNO3 loss and the formation of potassium sulfate in the mentioned poisoned catalysts.