Catalytic Deep Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds Toluene and Toluene+Xylene over γPt/γ-Al₂O₃ Catalysts at Lower Temperatures

알루미나에 담지한 백금 촉매상에서 휘발성 유기화합물 톨루엔 및 톨루엔+자일렌의 저온산화

The catalytic activity of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts for the oxidation of toluene and toluene+xylene mixture was investigated in the microreactor of fixed-bed type. The calcination temperatures and loadings of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts played the important role in the activity of catalysts for the oxidation of toluene. The increasing calcination temperatures and loadings of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts increased the crystallite size of the platinum to result in the higher oxidation activity of catalysts. The catalytic activity for the toluene oxidation over $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts turned out to be increasing in the order of $500^{\circ}C\;<\;800^{\circ}C<600^{\circ}C\;<\;700^{\circ}C$ for calcination temperatures and 0.1 wt% < 0.3 wt% < 1.0 wt% for platinum loadings, respectively. The 1.0 wt% $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts calcined at $700^{\circ}C$ for 3 hrs in the air showed the highest activity for the oxidation of the toluene. The decrease of oxidation activity of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts calcined at $800^{\circ}C$ might result from the decrease of active sites by sintering of platinum metals as well as ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ supports. The 1.0wt% $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst showed the activity from the lower temperature at $120^{\circ}C$, reached the light-off temperature ($T_{50%}$) at $180^{\circ}C$, and leveled off its activity at $340^{\circ}C$ with the conversion of 100% 'Mutual promotion' effects were observed for the binary mixture of toluene and xylene. The activity of the easy-to-oxidize toluene was slightly increased with the existence of the xylene. It might suggest the different mechanism for the oxidation of toluene and xylene on the $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts on different sites, and its reaction of gaseous oxygen.