SILICA DEACTIVATION OF BEAD VOC CATALYSTS

Catalytic oxidation is a key technology for controlling the emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from industrial plants. The prese nt paper examines the deactivation by silica of bead VOC catalysts in a flexographic printing application. Post mortem analyses of field-age d catalysts suggest that organosilicon compounds contained in the prin ting ink diffuse into the catalyst and deposit as silica particles in the micropores. Laboratory activity evaluation of aged catalysts sugge sts that silica deposition is non-selective and that silica masks the noble metal active site. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.