Fe-MCM-41 as a catalyst for sulfur dioxide oxidation in highly concentrated gases

The catalytic properties of Fe-MCM-41 and other iron-based catalyst materia ls for sulfur dioxide oxidation in highly concentrated gases have been char acterized for the first time. Independent of whether the catalysts were syn thesized by incipient wetness impregnation, solid-state impregnation, or in situ synthesis, the activity is found to be substantially higher than that observed for an industrial iron-on-silica reference catalyst. Although som e activity is lost during the formation of the catalysts, Fe-MCM-41 catalys ts are remarkably stable at temperatures of up to 1023 K. Fe-MCM-41 catalys ts appear to be efficient for the conversion of highly concentrated gases t hat cannot be processed by conventional vanadiumbased catalysts due to ther mal breakdown. (C) 2000 Academic Press.