Precipitated K-Promoted Co–Mn–Al Mixed Oxides for Direct NO Decomposition: Preparation and Properties

Direct decomposition of nitric oxide (NO) proceeds over Co-Mn-Al mixed oxides promoted by potassium. In this study, answers to the following questions have been searched: Do the properties of the K-promoted Co-Mn-Al catalysts prepared by different methods differ from each other? The K-precipitated Co-Mn-Al oxide catalysts were prepared by the precipitation of metal nitrates with a solution of K2CO3/KOH, followed by the washing of the precipitate to different degrees of residual K amounts, and by cthe alcination of the precursors at 500 degrees C. The properties of the prepared catalysts were compared with those of the best catalyst prepared by the K-impregnation of a wet cake of Co-Mn-Al oxide precursors. The solids were characterized by chemical analysis, DTG, XRD, N-2 physisorption, FTIR, temperature programmed reduction (H-2-TPR), temperature programmed CO2 desorption (CO2-TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and the species-resolved thermal alkali desorption method (SR-TAD). The washing of the K-precipitated cake resulted in decreasing the K amount in the solid, which affected the basicity, reducibility, and non-linearly catalytic activity in NO decomposition. The highest activity was found at ca 8 wt.% of K, while that of the best K-impregnated wet cake catalyst was at about 2 wt.% of K. The optimization of the cake washing conditions led to a higher catalytic activity.