Catalytic liquid‐phase nitrite reduction: Kinetics and catalyst deactivation

Abstract Liquid‐phase reduction using a solid catalyst provides a potential technique for the removal of nitrites from waters. Activity and selectivity measurements were performed for a wide range of reactant concentrations and reaction conditions in an isothermal semi‐batch slurry reactor, which was operated at temperatures below 298 K and atmospheric pressure. The effects of catalyst loading and initial nitrite concentration on the reaction rate were also investigated. The Pd monometallic catalysts were found to be advantageous over the Pd‐Cu bimetallic catalyst with respect to either reaction activity or selectivity. Among the catalysts tested, minimum ammonia formation was observed for the Pd(l wt. %)/γ‐Al2O3 catalyst. The proposed intrinsic rate expression for nitrite disappearance over the most selective catalyst is based on the steady‐state adsorption model of Hinshelwood, which accounts for a dissociative hydrogen adsorption step on the catalyst surface and an irreversible surface reaction step between adsorbed hydrogen species and nitrite ions in the Helmholtz layer. Both processes occur at comparable rates. An exponential decay in the activity of Pd(l wt. %)/γ‐Al2O3 catalyst has been observed during the liquid‐phase nitrite reduction. This is attributed to the catalyst surface deprotonation, which occurs due to the partial neutralization of stoichiometrically produced hydroxide ions with carbon dioxide.