Catalytic oxidation of organic compounds in incineration flue gas by a commercial palladium catalyst

The object of this study is to investigate the effect of different operation conditions on the catalytic oxidation of trace organic compounds i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)] in incineration flue gas. A commercial Pd-based honeycomb catalyst, which is applied to treat flue gas with low organic concentrations and high gas velocity, is employed in this study. The investigated parameters include (1) effect of different space velocities, (2) effect of heavy metals, (3) effect of acid gas, and (4) effect of water vapor and ash particles. In this work, an effective catalyst oxidation system is constructed and expected to purify the incineration flue gas. Catalyst oxidation is a potential purification system that will meet the stricter regulations on the emissions of incineration systems. Experimental results showed that the destruction efficiency of PAHs and BTEX in Pd catalyst was generally greater than 80%. Decreasing the space velocity increased the decomposition efficiency of organic compounds. When the feedstock contained the heavy metals Pb and Cr, the oxidation of organic compounds was not inhibited. But the presence of Cd significantly decreased the oxidation efficiency. The acid gases SO2 and HCl in the flue gas could have influenced the crystal structure of PdO and subsequently deactivated/poisoned the Pd catalyst. The effect of water vapor on the catalytic destruction of PAHs and BTEX was not obvious.