Cu/ZSM5-Geopolymer 3D-Printed Monoliths for the NH<sub>3</sub>-SCR of NO<sub>x</sub>
Elisabetta Maria Cepollaro,
Renata Botti,
Giorgia Franchin,
Luciana Lisi,
Paolo Colombo,
Stefano Cimino
Affiliations
Elisabetta Maria Cepollaro
Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie per l’Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili (STEMS), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Guglielmo Marconi 4/10, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Renata Botti
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6/a, 35131 Padova, Italy
Giorgia Franchin
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6/a, 35131 Padova, Italy
Luciana Lisi
Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie per l’Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili (STEMS), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Guglielmo Marconi 4/10, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Paolo Colombo
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6/a, 35131 Padova, Italy
Stefano Cimino
Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie per l’Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili (STEMS), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Guglielmo Marconi 4/10, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Geopolymer-based monoliths manufactured by direct ink writing, containing up to 60% by weight of presynthesized ZSM5 with low Si/Al ratio, were investigated as structured catalysts for the NH3-SCR of NOx. Copper was introduced as the active metal by ion exchange after a preliminary acid treatment of the monoliths. Monolithic catalysts were characterized by morphological (XRD and SEM), textural (BET and pore size distribution), mechanical (compressive strength), chemical (ICP–MS), redox (H2-TPR) and surface (NH3-TPD) analyses, showing the preservation of Cu-exchanged zeolite features in the composite monoliths. NH3-SCR tests, carried out on both monolithic and powdered samples in the temperature range 70–550 °C, confirmed that composite monoliths provide a very good activity and a high selectivity to N2 over the whole range of temperatures explored due to the hierarchical structure of the materials, in addition to a good mechanical resistance—mostly related to the geopolymer matrix.