MARKED DIFFERENCE IN ACTIVITY OF ALUMINA CATALYSTS FOR SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION OF NITROGEN MONOXIDE BY ETHENE IN EXCESS OXYGEN

Alumina is well-known as an effective catalyst for the title reaction. The present study revealed that the activity of an alumina catalyst f or the reaction largely depended on its type. A critical factor affect ing the activity of an alumina was neither the surface area nor pore s tructure, but the purity; the higher the purity, the higher the activi ty. Active alumina catalysts showed high activity for both the oxidati on of NO to NO2 and the reduction of NO2 by ethene.