Selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 over copper-hydroxyapatite catalysts: effect of the increase of the specific surface area of the support

International audienceThe influence of the increase of the specific surface area of the support Ca-HAp on the dispersion of copper species and their activity in the NO-SCR by NH3 has been studied. The copper ion exchange does not alter the Ca-HAp structure whatever the copper concentration. The increase of the specific surface area of the support changed the dispersion and the reducibility of copper species. The high NO conversion in the whole temperature range for the catalyst with the lowest specific surface area (35 m2/g) was related to the highly dispersed CuO particles that are easily reduced. Nevertheless, the increase of the specific surface area of the support (76 m2/g), induces an increase of the size of CuO particles that become less active in NO-SCR by NH3. The addition of 2.5 % of H2O to the reaction gas feed strongly affects the NO conversion in the whole temperature range. This deactivation can be related to the change of the nature of copper species rather than to the destruction of the Ca-HAp structure