Non-permselective membrane reactor for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia

Abstract

A novel type of reactor is developed for the catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3. In this reactor a porous membrane is noted to keep the reactants separated from each other and to carry out the reaction in a controlled way inside the membrane. As the rate of reaction is fast compared to the diffusion rate of the reactants, the molar fluxes of both reactants are in stoichiometric ratio and slip of reactants to the opposite side of the membrane is prevented. The advantage of this reactor is the possibility to obtain high conversions of NOx despite fluctuating concentrations of NOx without severe slip of NH$-3/. This membrane reactor has been tested experimentally and it is demonstrated that it is able to cope with a varying ratio of concentrations of NOx and NH3 without detectable slip of NH3 or NOx at a temperature of 569 K