Analysis of N2O decomposition over fixed bed mixed metal oxide catalysts made from hydrotalcite-type precursors Original Research Article

The kinetic modeling and analysis for the catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide into nitrogen and oxygen have been performed based on some experiments over a fixed bed of mixed metal oxide catalysts made from calcined hydrotalcite-type precursors. The hydrotalcite-type compounds were obtained by co-precipitation of various metal nitrates with the addition of the precipitants and under controlled pH. The reactions were carried out under atmospheric pressure in the temperature range 250–500 °C and space velocities were set between 15,000 and 60,000 h−1. A reaction rate model derived from the mechanisms of adsorption and sequential decomposition of nitrous oxide has been applied to the decomposition operation of a fixed bed reactor. The mechanistic aspects of all the relevant reactions could be represented exactly for the operation range of temperature, concentration and parameters of reactor concern.