A process for removing nitrogen oxides

Abstract: A process for removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust gases containing volatile metal compound by the use of a catalyst the activity of which is hardly reduced by the volatile metal compound and a catalyst for the process are provided, which process comprises contacting the exhaust gases with a catalyst comprising TiO₂ and a com­ posite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum and/or a composite oxide of vanadium and manganese in the presence of ammonia.

Description: This invention relates to a process for removing nitrogen oxides. More particularly, it relates to a process for removing nitrogen oxides according to which the activity of the catalyst is not easily reduced due to volatile metal compounds and the removal is carried out efficiently, and a catalyst therefor. EP-A-0220416 discloses a catalyst material for the reduction of nitrgen oxide in exhaust gas, the catalyst material including titanium oxide. The process of removing nitrogen oxides (NO x ) contained in various exhaust gases by reducing them with ammonia (NH₃) has been becoming a main current of denitration process for exhaust gases generated from various fixed sources including boiler combustion gases, since the afore-mentioned process is simple and efficient. The process requires the so-called denitration catalyst for promoting the reaction of NO x with NH₃, and various inventions therefor have so far been made. Among such catalysts, those which have currently been practically used are catalysts represented by those disclosed in Japanese patent application laid-open Nos. Sho 50-51966/1975 and Sho 52-122293/1977, i.e. those obtained by adding oxides of vanadium (V), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), iron (F), etc. to titanium oxide (TiO₂) as a main component. These catalysts, even when sulfur oxides are contained in exhaust gases, are not deteriorated easily and exhibit a high denitration performance; hence they are superior catalysts. However, it has been known that even these catalysts may cause reduction in the denitration performance depending on kinds of catalysts. When volatile metal compounds, particularly oxides of selenium, tellurium, thallium, arsenic, etc. are contained in exhaust gases, there has been raised a problem that the performance of the above-mentioned catalysts is reduced. Further, necessity of catalysts having a higher activity than those of conventional catalysts has been increasing. An example of denitration catalysts having oxides of vanadium and other metals combined with titanium oxide is disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. Sho 53-28148/1978. However, this catalyst contains a mere mixture of oxide of vanadium and oxide of molybdenum or mixed oxides wherein a certain solid solution is partly formed, but the catalyst contains no composite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum. The present invention provides a process for removing nitrogen oxides from exahaust gases containing nitrogen oxides and volatile metal compounds which process comprises contacting the exhaust gases in the presence of ammonia with a catalyst comprising titanium oxide characterised in that the catalyst further comprises a composite oxide of vanadium and at least one of molybdenum and manganese, said composite oxide of molybdenum and vanadium is expressed by the formula MoV x O y wherein x represents 0.5 to 3 and y represents 3 to 10, and said composite oxide of vanadium and manganese is expressed by the formula Mn a V b O c wherein a represents 1 to 4, b represents 1 or 2 and c represents 3 to 9. Preferably, the composite oxide is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of VOMoO₄, Mo₄V₆O₂₅, Mo₆V₅O₄₀, MoV₂O₈, MoVO₅, MnVO₅, MnV₂O₆, Mn₂V₂O₄, Mn₂V₂O₇, Mn₄V₂O₉ and Mn₃(VO₄)₂. The present invention will now be described in greater detail. In the process of the present invention a catalyst having a high denitration performance and hardly deteriorated by volatile metal compounds is used. The catalyst is characterized by containing titanium oxide as a first component and at least one member of a composite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum and a composite oxide of vanadium and manganese as a second component. It has been found that the catalyst of the present invention containing titanium oxide and a composite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum has a far less reduction in the activity due to volatile metal compared with conventional catalysts obtained by mixing titanium oxide with molybdenum oxide or by mixing titanium oxide with vanadium oxide. Further, it has also been found that the catalyst of the present invention has a less reduction in the activity even as compared with a catalyst obtained by merely mixing titanium oxide with molybdenum oxide and vanadium oxide. Still further, it has also been found that even in the case of a catalyst using a composite oxide of vanadium and manganese in place of a composite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum, reduction in the activity is similarly improved. The reason that the above-mentioned composite oxides exhibit particularly an inhibition effect upon the activity reduction due to volatile metal compounds has not yet been clarified, but it is considered that when vanadium and molybdenum or manganese form a composite oxide, a chemical properties different from those of the respective single oxides is developed, whereby the resulting catalyst is hard to be poisoned by volatile metal compounds. For example, it is considered that when the composite oxides are formed, the arrangement of vanadium and molybdenum or manganese is determined by their crystalline structures and the dispersion state thereof on the catalyst surface is changed from those in the case of single oxides so that the resulting catalyst is hard to be poisoned. Further, it is also considered that when the composite oxides are formed, the valence states of vanadium, molybdenum and manganese are changed so that the resulting catalyst is difficutly poisoned. The composite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum used in the present invention is expressed by the formula MoV x O y ; x is in the range of 0.5 to 3 and y is in the range of 3 to 10; and as representative compounds, VOMoO₄, Mo₄V₆O₂₅, Mo₆V₉O₄₀, MoV₂O₈, MoVO₅, etc. are exemplified. Further, the composite oxide of vanadium and manganese used in the present invention is expressed by the formula Mn a V b O c ; a is in the range of 1 to 4, b is in the range of 1 to 2 and c is in the range of 3 to 9; and MnVO₅, MnV₂O₆, Mn₂V₂O₄, Mn₂V₂O₇, Mn₄V₂O₉, Mn₃(VO₄)₂, etc. are exemplified. These compounds are different in the structure from mere mixtures of vanadium oxide with molybdenum oxide or manganese oxide, and can be distinguished therefrom by means of X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectrophotometric analysis, X-ray photoelectric spectra (XPS), extended-X-ray absorption end fine structure analysis (EXAFS), etc. When these compounds are used as a catalyst component, it is possible to prepare a catalyst having vanadium with molybdenum or manganese in a different dispersion state. The content of the composite oxides of vanadium with molybdenum and/or vanadium with manganese is preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 2 to 20% by weight. If the content is too low, the catalyst activity is low and hence the catalyst is not practical, while if it is too high, the oxidation decomposition of NH₃ added as a reducing agent for NO x is increased so that NO x -removing performance particularly at 400°C or higher is reduced. The composite oxides used in the process of the present invention can be obtained by mixing a salt of molybdenum or manganese with a salt of vanadium or mixing oxides or hydroxides of these, followed by calcining such mixture at 500° to 1,000°C. Examples of salts of molybdenum, manganese or vanadium are ammonium salts, carbonates, nitrates and chlorides thereof. Further, as the calcination atmosphere, reducing atmosphere is preferred. For example, when nitrogen atmosphere is used, it is possible to obtain composite oxides of various compositions. For identifying the composition of the resulting composite oxides, X-ray diffraction analysis may be employed. The catalyst used in the process of the present invention is necessary to contain at least titanium oxide. When a composite oxide of vanadium and molybdenum and/or manganese is combined with titanium oxide, it is possible to obtain a catalyst having a high activity and a high endurability. Besides these components, it is also possible to add various components exhibiting an activity for the denitration reaction such as oxides and/or sulfates of W, Fe, Cr, Ce, Cu, Ni, etc. Further, in order to improve the catalyst performances such as strength, various additives such as SiO₂, Aℓ₂O₃, etc. may also be added. As to the catalyst shape, various ones such as pellet, spherical, cylinderical, honeycomb, plate shape or the like may be used. Further, it is also possible to use materials obtained by coating the catalyst on metal substrate, ceramic substrate, honey-bomb ceramics, etc. As to the process for preparing the catalyst, the method of carrying the active components on the substrates has no particular limitation and any of conventional immersion method, kneading method, precipitation method, etc. may be employed. The temperature at which the nitration reaction is carried out using the catalyst for the process of the present invention is preferably in the range of 150° to 600°C, more particularly 200° to 550°C. If the temperature is too low, no sufficient denitration performance is obtained, while if it is too high, the oxidation activity of NH₃ added as a reducing agent for NO x becomes high so that the denitration activity is reduced. The present invention will be described in more detail by way of Examples. Example 1 A catalyst used in the process of the present invention was prepared as follows: Distilled water (50 mℓ) was added to MoO₃ powder (14 g) and V₂O₄ powder (8 g), followed by sufficiently kneading the mixture by means of a mixing and grinding machine for one hour and calcining the resulting slurry in nitrogen atmosphere at 700°C for 2 hours. The resulting oxide was examined by means of X-ray diffraction. As a result, it was in the form of MoVO₅. A metatitanic acid slurry (the content of the acid in terms of TiO₂: 30% by weight) (100 g) was mixed with the above obtained composite oxide (3.3 g), followed by sufficiently kneading the mixture by means of a mixing and grinding machine, drying the resulting material at 150°C, adding 1% by weight of graphite, molding the mixture into tablets of 6 mm in diameter and 6 mm high, and calcining the resulting molded product in nitrogen atmosphere at 450°C for 2 hours to obtain Example catalyst 1. This catalyst contained MoVO₅ in 10% by weight. In the performance test of this catalyst, particles of a particle size of 10 to 20 meshes obtained by grinding the above-mentioned molded product were used. Examples 2 - 4 Example 1 was repeated except that the content of MoVO₅ was varied to 1% by weight, 20% by weight and 50% by weight, to obtain Example catalysts 2, 3 and 4. Comparative example 1 A metatitanic acid slurry (100 g) was mixed with MoO₃ powder (3.3 g), followed by sufficiently kneading the mixture, drying the resulting material at 200°C, adding 1% by weight of graphite, molding the mixture into tablets of 6 mm in diameter and 6 mm high and calcining the molded product at 500°C for 2 hours to obtain Comparative example catalyst 1. The catalyst contained MoO₃ in 10% by weight. Comparative example 2 Comparative example 1 was repeated except that MoO₃ powder was replaced by V₂O₅ powder to obtain Comparative example catalyst 2. This catalyst contained V₂O₅ in 10% by weight. Comparative example 3 Comparative example 1 was repeated except that MoO₃ powder (3.3 g) was replaced by MoO₃ powder (1.7 g) and V₂O₅ powder (1.7 g) to obtain Comparative example catalyst 3. This catalyst contained MoO₃ (5% by weight) and V₂O₅ (5% by weight). Experimental example 1 With catalysts of Examples 1 - 4 and Comparative examples 1 - 3, accelerated durability tests were carried out using a model gas having simulated a combustion exhaust gas of a coal having a high content of mineral substances. As a catalyst poison, SO₃ and AS₂O₃ as oxidation products of arsenopyrite were added into the gas. The test conditions are shown in Table 1. The above-mentioned durability tests were carried out for 30 minutes and the catalyst performance was measured before and after the tests. The measurement was carried out employing an atmospheric pressure, flow type, fixed bed reaction apparatus. As the reaction tube, a silica glass tube of 20 mm in inner diameter was used. This reaction tube was heated in an electric oven and the temperature was measured by means of a thermocouple. A catalyst (2 mℓ) having its particule size adjusted to 10 to 20 meshes was filled in the central part of the reaction tube and the durability tests were carried out under the conditions shown in Table 1. For the analysis of NO x , a NO x analyzer of chemiluminescence mode was employed and the percentage of NO x removal was calculated from the following equation: The results are shown in Table 2. As seen from Table 2, the catalyst of the present invention is hardly deteriorated as compared with Comparative example catalysts. Catalyst Percentage of NO x removal (%) Initial period After durability test Example 1 91 54 Example 2 77 45 Example 3 86 52 Example 4 81 47 Comp. ex. 1 70 33 Comp. ex. 2 79 21 Comp. ex. 3 85 37 Example 5 Example 1 was repeated except that MoO₃ powder (14 g) and V₂O₅ powder (18 g) were used to prepare Example catalyst 5. This catalyst contained 10% by weight of MoV₂O₈ as a composite oxide of molybdenum and vanadium. Examples 6 - 8 In the same manner as in Example 1, TiO₂ catalysts containing 10% by weight of VOMoO₄, Mo₄V₆O₂₅ or Mo₆V₉O₄₀ each as a composite oxide of molybdenum and vanadium were prepared to obtain Example catalysts 6, 7 and 8. Experimental example 2 With Example catalysts 5 - 8, endurability tests were carried out in the same manner as in Experimental example 1. The results are shown in Table 3. Catalyst Percentage of NO x removal (%) Initial period After durability test Example 5 94 47 Example 6 90 51 Example 7 91 49 Example 8 91 50 Example 9 A catalyst used in the process of the present invention was prepared as follows: Distilled water (50 mℓ) was added to Mn₂O₃ powder (20 g) and V₂O₄ powder (21 g), followed by sufficiently kneading the mixture by means of a mixing and grinding machine for one hour and calcining the resulting slurry at 700°C for 2 hours. The resulting oxide was examined by X-ray diffraction. As a result, it was in the form of Mn₂V₂O₇. A metatitanic acid slurry (the content of the acid in terms of TiO₂: 30% by weight) (100 g) was mixed with the above composite oxide (3.3 g), followed by sufficiently kneading the mixture by means of a mixing and grinding machine, drying the resulting material at 200°C, adding 1% by weight of graphite, molding the mixture into pellets of 6 mm in diameter and 6 mm high and calcining the molded product at 500°C for 2 hours to obtain Example catalyst 9. This catalyst contained 10% by weight of Mn₂V₂O₇. In addition, in the performance tests, this molded product was ground into particles having a particle size of 10 - 20 meshes. Examples 10 - 13 Example 1 was repeated except that the content of Mn₂V₂O₇ in Example 9 was varied to 1% by weight, 5% by weight, 20% by weight or 50% by weight to obtain Example catalysts 10, 11, 12 and 13. Comparative example 4 A metatitanic acid slurry (100 g) was mixed with V₂O₅ powder (3.3 g), followed by kneading the mixture by means of a mixing and grinding machine, drying the resulting material at 200°C, adding 1% by weight of graphite, molding the mixture into tablets of 6 mm in diameter and 6 mm high and calcining the resulting molded product at 500°C for 2 hours to obtain Comparative example catalyst 4. This catalyst is a TiO₂ catalyst containing 10% by weight of V₂O₅. Comparative example 5 A metatitanic acid slurry (100 g) was mixed with V₂O₅ powder (3.8 g) and Mn₂O₃ powder (3.8 g), followed by sufficiently kneading the mixture by means of a mixing and grinding machine, drying the resulting material at 200°C, adding 1% by weight of graphite, molding the mixture into tablets of 6 mm in diameter and 6 mm high, and calcining the resulting molded product at 500°C for 2 hours to obtain Comparative example catalyst 5. This catalyst was a TiO₂ catalyst containing 10% by weight of V₂O₅ and 10% by weight of Mn₂O₃. Experimental example 3 With catalysts of Examples 9 - 13 and Comparative examples 4 and 5, durability tests were carried out in the same manner as in Experimental example 1. The results are shown in Table 4. Catalyst Percentage of NO x removal (%) Initial period After durability test Example 9 83 54 Example 10 75 46 Example 11 82 51 Example 12 81 53 Example 13 76 47 Comp. ex. 4 77 21 Comp. ex. 5 79 25 Example 14 Example 9 was repeated except that Mn₂O₃ powder (20 g) and V₂O₃ powder (9.5 g) were used as starting raw materials in this Example to prepare Example catalyst 14. This catalyst was a TiO₂ catalyst containing 10% by weight of Mn₄V₂O₉ as a composite oxide of vanadium and manganese. Example 15 Example 9 was repeated except that MnO powder (20 g) and V₂O₅ powder (51 g) were used as starting raw materials to prepare Example catalyst 15. This catalyst is a TiO₂ catalyst containing 10% by weight of MnV₂O₆ as a composite oxide of vanadium and manganese. Example 16 Example 9 was repeated except that manganese acetate (20 g) and vanadyl oxalate (16 g) were used as starting raw materials to prepare Example catalyst 16. This catalyst is a TiO₂ catalyst containing 10% by weight of MnVO₃ as a composite oxide of vanadium and manganese. Experimental example 4 With catalysts of Examples 14 - 16, durability tests were carried out in the same manner as in Experimental example 1. The results are shown in Table 5. Catalyst Percentage of NO x removal (%) Initial period After durability test Example 14 81 51 Example 15 84 58 Example 16 85 57 According to the present invention, in the process of removing nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gases by contacting them with the surface of a catalyst, it is possible to reduce poisoning of the catalyst due to volatile metal compounds contained in exhaust gases and also to treat exhaust gases containing a large quantity of volatile metal compounds such as those of Se, Te, Tℓ, As, etc., to which conventional denitration catalysts could not have been applied due to their notable deterioration. Further, since the catalyst of the present invention has a small deterioration and a high activity, reduction in the use amount thereof and a long life thereof are possible. The preferred embodiments of the present invention can provide a process for removing nitrogen oxides by the use of a catalyst having a catalyst activity which is not susceptible to deterioration by volatile metal compounds contained in exhaust gases.

Claims: A process for removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust gases containing nitrogen oxides and volatile metal compounds which process comprises contacting the exhaust gases in the presence of ammonia with a catalyst comprising titanium oxide characterised in that the catalyst further comprises a composite oxide of vanadium and at least one of molybdenum and manganese, said composite oxide of molybdenum and vanadium is expressed by the formula MoV x O y wherein x represents 0.5 to 3 and y represents 3 to 10, and said composite oxide of vanadium and manganese is expressed by the formula Mn a V b O c wherein a represents 1 to 4, b represents 1 or 2 and c represents 3 to 9. A process for removing nitrogen oxides according to claim 1, wherein said composite oxide is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of VOMoO₄, Mo₄V₆O₂₅, Mo₆V₅O₄₀, MoV₂O₈, MoVO₅, MnVO₅, MnV₂O₆, Mn₂V₂O₄, Mn₂V₂O₇, Mn₄V₂O₉ and Mn₃(VO₄)₂.

Inventors: KAMO TOMOICHI-HITACHI RES LABO, KATO AKIRA-HITACHI RES LABO OF, KATO YASUYOSHI-HITACHI RES LAB, KAWAGOSHI HIROSHI-HITACHI RES, MATSUDA SHINPEI-HITACHI RES LA, NAKAJIMA FUMITO-HITACHI RES LA, TACHI TAKAHIRO-HITACHI RES LAB, YAMASHITA HISAO-HITACHI RES LA, KAMO, TOMOICHI - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI LTD, KATO, AKIRA - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI LTD, KATO, YASUYOSHI - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI LTD, KAWAGOSHI, HIROSHI - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI, MATSUDA, SHINPEI - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI, NAKAJIMA, FUMITO - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI, TACHI, TAKAHIRO - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI LTD, YAMASHITA, HISAO - HITACHI RES. LABO OF HITACHI
Applicants: BABCOCK HITACHI KK, BABCOCK-HITACHI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B01D53
IPC codes: B01J23, B01D53