The dynamics of NH3 adsorption-desorption and of selective catalytic reduct
ion (SCR) of NO with NH3 are investigated in this work over a commercial V2
O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst by transient response techniques. Linear variations in
the inlet concentration of one or more reactants are imposed while analyzi
ng the system outlet response. The transient experiments could be successfu
lly described by a kinetic model based on: (i) a negligible NO adsorption o
n the catalyst surface; (ii) a non-activated NH3 adsorption; (iii) a Temkin
-type NH3 coverage dependence of the desorption energy; and (iv) an Eley-Ri
deal mechanism for the SCR reaction with a non-linear dependence of the rea
ction rate on the NH3 surface coverage. The presence of low concentrations
of water in the feed stream does not seem to affect the ammonia adsorption-
desorption process on the surface but significantly inhibits the SCR reacti
on; an inhibiting effect of adsorbed NH3 on the SCR reaction is also pointe
d out. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.