Honeycomb reactor washcoated with mordenite type zeolite catalysts for the reduction of NOx by NH3

A low pressure drop reactor was prepared by washcoating Cu ion-exchanged mordenite on a honeycomb. The reactor configuration including reaction conditions was experimentally optimized both for low-pressure drop and for high catalytic activity of the honeycomb reactor. Over 90% of NO conversion was achieved by both Cu ion-exchanged synthetic zeolite (CuHM) and natural zeolite (CuNZA). The pressure drops due to honeycomb reactors were low enough to meet the constraint of the pressure drop (5 in. of H2O) for its application to a utility boiler. A mathematical model based on fluid flow, reaction kinetics, and pressure drop was derived for the design of the reactor, and then the reactor was simulated to examine the effects of operating conditions on NO conversion. Finally, the sulfur tolerance of the honeycomb reactor developed in this work has also been investigated.