CuO/TiO2 catalysts for gas-phase Hg0 catalytic oxidation

CuO/TiO2 catalysts prepared by an impregnation method were studied to determine their efficiencies of mercury oxidation in the simulated flue gas. In this study, 7% CuO/TiO2 was found to be an optimal catalyst with an oxidation efficiency of over 98% at temperatures in the range of 50-300 degrees C. X-ray diffracto-grams (XRD), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the catalysts; the results indicated the CuO was well-dispersed on the surface of TiO2 and that Cu2+ was the primary Cu species contributing to Hg-0 oxidation. HCl was the most effective flue gas component responsible for the Hg-0 oxidation. Also, 5-ppm HCl resulted in 100% Hg-0 oxidation under the experimental conditions. The mechanism of Hg-0 oxidation was also investigated. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.