A study of different supports for the catalytic reduction of nitrates from natural water with a continuous reactor

The aim of this work is to study the activity for the nitrate catalytic reduction in natural water, using a continuous stirred tank reactor, of Pd/Cu and Pd/Sn catalysts supported on different materials. The studied supports are: γ-Al2O3 (commercial), active carbon, graphite, hydrotalcite and alumina synthesized in our laboratory with a high surface area. The activity and selectivity of the catalysts supported on these materials have been compared. The best results have been obtained with the Pd/Sn catalysts supported on alumina. These results show that the surface area of the support is not the only important characteristic for an active catalyst in this reaction, but also its acid–base properties, electrical conductivity and interaction with the metallic active sites are very significant. The adequate combination of these characteristics is necessary to obtain an active catalyst. The influence of the Pd/Sn content on the activity of the alumina supported catalysts was studied, observing that the best activity was obtained when the Pd/Sn ratio was higher than 1. This result clearly indicates that it is necessary to have both Pd and Pd–Sn centers in order to obtain an active catalyst.

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► We study the catalytic NO3− reduction with different supports in natural water.
► The best results are obtained with Pd/Sn catalysts supported on alumina.
► We describe the characteristics necessary for an adequate support.
► It is essential to have both Pd and Pd–Sn centers for an active catalyst.