An investigation of alumina supported catalysts for the selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia in biomass gasification

Alumina-supported catalysts containing different transition metals (Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co) were prepared and tested for their activity in the selective oxidation of ammonia reaction at high temperatures (between 700 and 900 °C) using a synthetic gasification gas mixture. The catalysts were also characterised for their acidic properties by infrared studies of pyridine and ammonia adsorption and reaction/desorption. The Ni/Al₂O₃ and Cr/Al₂O₃ catalyst displayed the highest selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) activity in that temperature range with excellent N₂ selectivities. FT-IR studies of adsorbed pyridine and NH₃ indicate that Lewis acid sites dominate and that NH₃ adsorption on these sites is likely to be the first step in the SCO reaction. FT-IR studies on less active catalysts, particularly on Cu/Al₂O₃ allowed the detection of oxidation intermediates, amide (NH₂), and possibly hydrazine and imido and nitroxyl species. The amide and hydrazine intermediate gives credence to a proposed SCO mechanism involving a hydrazine intermediate, while the proposed imide, N–H, and/or nitroxyl, HNO species could be intermediates in incomplete oxidation of NH₃ to N₂O.