Red mud has been tested as a novel and sustainable support material to develop a bimetallic catalyst for enhanced nitrate removal. The catalyst was tested for the selection of optimal promoter and noble metal combinations. Two catalytic cominations (Sn-Pd and In-Pd) on the red mud support achieved a complete nitrate removal, while other metal combinations showed poor removal efficiency. Sn-Pd-red mud showed highest removal kinetics (k= 11.57 × 10−2 min−1) among the whole bimetallic catalysts tested. The enhanced nitrate removal kinetics by Sn-Pd-red mud was caused by high affinity towards nitrate, low alloying effect of Sn on Pd, high reduction potential of Sn, and high H2 activation by Pd. The interaction between CaO and Fe2O3 in the sustainable red mud support was the main driving force for the enhanced nitrate reduction and high N2 selectivity in this research. A complete removal with high N2 selectivity was continuously acieved during the repeated cycles (11 runs) with fast removal kinetics (k = 10.9±0.5 × 10−2 min−1), confirming that the red mud is an excellent support for sustainanle and durable metallic catalyst for the enhanced nitrate removal.

Sustainable bimetallic catalyst supported by red mud for enhanced nitrate reduction

2019 Fall National Meeting

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