Novel inductively-heated catalytic system for fast VOCs abatement, application to IPA in air

• Electromagnetic induction was used for heating metallic catalyst supports.
• Very high heating rates and accurate temperature control were obtained.
• Thin catalyst films were tested for IPA abatement in air under high ghsv.
• IPA fast abatement was achieved on inductively heated SnO2/stainless steel.

Pt-Al2O3, Al2O3 and SnO2 were deposited as thin films on a stainless steel support that was inserted into an annular reactor and heated using an electromagnetic induction device. Possibility of an accurate temperature control was demonstrated and heating rates up to 800 °C min−1 were obtained. Total abatement of 1000 ppm isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was achieved at low temperature (T50 about 80 °C) on 1 wt% Pt/Al2O3. Nevertheless, the strong IPA adsorption on the alumina support and the formation of large amounts of acetone dictated to select the other catalyst, SnO2. IPA 90% conversion into CO2 and H2O was then obtained at 250 °C with a total flow of 100 NmL min−1 containing 1000 ppm IPA. Considering the volume of the very thin reactive sheath (hydraulic diameter about 3.6 mm), ghsv was as high as 2.6 × 103 h−1. Total abatement to CO2 and H2O of high amounts of IPA (about 1 vol%) in air was achieved in less than 30 s and near-room temperature was recovered quickly when the contaminant level at the reactor inlet felled again below a given threshold

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