Patent ID: 6419880
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: B01J,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for recovering catalytic activity of a noble metal catalyst, comprising the acts ofproviding a device having a combustion sensor including a pellistor with a noble metal catalyst, and a controller coupled to said combustion sensor and capable of operating in a detection mode for monitoring an electrical characteristic of said pellistor, said electrical characteristic varying in response to the concentration of a particular gas within a flow of gas, and in a regeneration mode for heating said pellistor to a temperature selected to regenerate catalytic activity of said pellistor, exposing the catalyst to a hydrocarbon-containing, non-oxidizing environment, and heating the pellistor in the hydrocarbon-containing, non-oxidizing environment to substantially reactivate portions of the catalyst that have lost activity and thereby recover activity of the catalyst.