Regeneration of sulfur-poisoned Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts: Copper speciation and catalytic performance evaluation

Journal article, 2021

Regeneration of a sulfur-poisoned Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst via a temperature ramp in an inert atmosphere with subsequent holding under oxidizing conditions at 500 °C restores significant activity for NOx conversion under standard, fast, and NO2-rich SCR conditions. The N2O selectivity of the regenerated catalyst is higher than for the fresh catalyst under NO2-rich SCR conditions at 280 °C, while the opposite was observed for the standard and fast SCR conditions. Analysis of copper speciation showed that sulfur-free Cu species have different condition-dependent behavior in the fresh and regenerated catalysts. Heating the poisoned catalyst in an oxidizing atmosphere transforms a portion of ammonium sulfates into stable metal sulfates, while heating under inert or reducing conditions leads to more effective desulfation without the formation of stable metal sulfates. Reducing conditions result in desulfation at lower temperatures compared to inert conditions. These results contribute to the further development of regeneration strategies for Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts.