Catalytic Combustion of Toluene over a Copper-Manganese-Silver Mixed-Oxide Catalyst Supported on a Washcoated Ceramic Monolith

Monolithic catalysts were prepared by washcoating an alumina sol and then impregnating Cu-Mn-Ag mixed oxides onto cordierite substrates. The effects of the preparation parameters including the Ag/Cu/Mn ratio, the total amount of active phase and the loading of washcoat, and the reaction conditions, e.g., the space velocity and the oxygen/toluene ratio on the catalytic performance for the combustion of toluene were investigated. It is shown that the Cu-Mn-Ag oxides are very active for the combustion of toluene and that the highest catalytic activity is achieved over a monolithic catalyst containing 14.7 wt% of washcoat and 21.2 wt% of active phase with a Ag/Cu/Mn molar ratio of 13.8/43.1/43.1. It is also seen that the optimum catalyst has a good catalytic stability and exhibits an excellent activity not only at a rather high space velocity but also within a wide range of oxygen/toluene ratios.