Reaction kinetics for automotive exhaust gas catalysts with reversible noble metal oxidation

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Guido Schmitz; Dr.-Ing. Ute Susanne Tuttlies
• Subject Area: Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering
• Term: from 2017 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 350398919

This interdisciplinary joint project will combine engineering methods with material science methods to describe the conversion behaviour of automotive exhaust gas catalysts with respect to the reversible noble metal oxidation. Material science methods allow to determine the state of the solid phase with molecular resolution. The characterization of the solid phase (in this case the catalyst) is carried out by atom probe tomography (APT). Therefore a sample of the catalyst is prepared to a needlepoint of 10-50nm radius, treated under selected conditions and analysed via APT. The goal of the project is to develop a methodology for the processing of kinetic models for catalysts that change with reaction conditions. Therefore we combine transient conversion measurements with measurements of the atomic composition to gain physically sound descriptions of the transformations and reactions. The approach will be tested for diesel exhaust gas catalysts with platinum, palladium and Pt7Pd-alloys. The institute for chemical process engineering (ICVT) will provide transient measurements of the reaction conversions to determine amongst other things the reaction conditions for relevant changes in the catalyst behaviour. The institute for material science (IMW) will provide the high resolution characterization of the active material. Modelling and simulation will be conducted by ICVT.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Nieken