Generated aerosol particle deposition has been applied in laboratory scale to induce deactivation of commercial Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalysts Of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 monolithic type. The monolithic catalyst has been exposed to the generated submicrometer particle of inorganic salts, KCl, K2SO4, and ZnCl2 at 200 degrees C in a tubular reactor. The generated particles have been deposited on the catalytic surfaces by utilization of an electrostatic field. Physical characterization of the generated aerosol particles were conducted by Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and Electric Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) with and without catalyst in order to investigate the magnitude of the particle deposition. Particle charge distribution was also evaluated with a Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser (TDMA) set up.

SCR is the most common method to commercially reduce NOx emissions from combustion processes. Catalyst lifetime is important for process economics and extending catalyst life can allow future strengthened emission legislation and diminished NOx emissions.

Verification of particle deposition has been conducted through comparison with catalyst samples exposed to commercial biomass combustion condition.

The reactivity of both fresh and exposed catalyst samples as well as commercially used samples was examined in SCR reaction and the methods of deposition as well as the influence of the different salts on catalytic performance have been explored.

Catalyst samples have been evaluated with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with respect to surface morphology of the catalyst material. The laboratory deactivated catalyst samples showed resemblance with the commercially exposed catalyst sample with respect to salts concentration and deposition of the salts particles. The obtained influence on catalyst activity was comparable with commercially obtained catalyst activity reductions at comparable potassium concentration levels.

The deactivation of a commercial selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst of type V2O5−WO3/TiO2 has been studied in this work through comparisons of results from a full-scale biomass combustion plant with those from laboratory experiments. In the latter, the catalyst was exposed to KCl, K2SO4, and ZnCl2 by both wet impregnation with diluted salt solutions and deposition of generated submicrometer aerosol particles by means of an electrostatic field. The reactivity of freshly prepared and deactivated catalyst samples was examined in the SCR reaction, for which the influence of the different salts and the method of exposure were explored. Chemical and physical characterizations of the catalyst samples were carried out focusing on surface area, pore volume, pore size, chemical composition, and the penetration profiles of potassium and zinc. Particle-deposition deactivation as well as commercially exposed catalyst samples were shown to impact surface area and catalyst activity similarly and to have penetration profiles with pronounced peaks. Salt impregnation influenced pore sizes and catalyst activity more strongly and showed flat penetration profiles. Deposition of submicrometer-sized particles on the monolithic SCR catalyst has been shown to induce deactivation of the catalyst with characteristics resembling those obtained in a commercial biomass combustion plant; the laboratory process can be used to further assess the deactivation mechanism by biomass combustion.

The deactivation of a commercial Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst, of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 type, has been studied through comparisons with results from a full-scale biomass combustion plant to that with laboratory experiments. In the latter, the catalyst was exposed to KCl and K2SO4 by both wet impregnation with diluted salt solutions and deposition of generated submicrometer aerosol particles by means of an electrostatic field. The reactivity of fresh and deactivated samples was examined in the SCR reaction. Chemical and physical characterizations were focusing on internal structures and chemical composition. Deposition of submicrometer sized particles on the monolithic SCR catalyst was shown to induce deactivation with characteristics resembling those obtained in a commercial biomass combustion plant.

Production of synthesis gas by catalytic reforming of product gas from biomass gasification can lead to catalyst deactivation by the exposure to ash compounds present in the flue gas. The impact of fly ash from biomass gasification on reforming catalysts was studied at the laboratory scale. The investigated catalyst was Pt/Rh based, and it was exposed to generated K2SO4 aerosol particles and to aerosol particles produced from the water-soluble part of biomass fly ash, originating from a commercial biomass combustion plant. The noble metal catalyst was also compared with a commercial Ni-based catalyst, exposed to aerosol particles of the same fashion. To investigate the deactivation by aerosol particles, a flow containing submicrometer-size selected aerosol particles was led through the catalyst bed. The particle size of the poison was measured prior to the catalytic reactor system. Fresh and aerosol particle exposed catalysts were characterized using BET surface area, XRPD (X-ray powder diffraction), and H2 chemisorption. The Pt/Rh catalyst was also investigated for activity in the steam methane reforming reaction. It was found that the method to deposit generated aerosol particles on reforming catalysts could be a useful procedure to investigate the impact of different compounds possibly present in the product gas from the gasifier, acting as potential catalyst poisons. The catalytic deactivation procedure by exposure to aerosol particles is somehow similar to what happens in a real plant, when a catalyst bed is located subsequent to a biomass gasifier or a combustion boiler. Using different environments (oxidizing, reducing, steam present, etc.) in the aerosol generation adds further flexibility to the suggested aerosol deactivation method. It is essential to investigate the deactivating effect at the laboratory scale before a full-scale plant is taken into operation to avoid operational problems.