School of Chemical Engineering Graduate seminar series Dr. Michael P. Harold M.D. Anderson Professor and Chair Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Houston "Multi-Functional Structured Catalysts for Clean Exhaust from Lean Burn Vehicles Tuesday, April 14, 2015 9:00-10:15 a.m. FRNY G140 Reception at 8:30 a.m. in Henson Atrium Abstract: In order to take advantage of the increased fuel efficiency of these vehicles while improving urban air quality, significant reductions in the emissions of NOx and particulate soot are needed. NOx Storage and Reduction (NSR) is a promising but complex catalytic process that involves the sequential periodic reactive trapping of NOx and its rapid reduction on multi-functional catalysts containing precious metal and storage components. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) involves reaction of NOx with NH3 on metal-exchanged zeolite catalysts. Multi-functional catalyst architectures that combine two or more active layers or zones can be effective designs to address cost and/or performance limitations. In this talk we describe several examples from our recent experimental and modeling studies of three different multi-functional structured catalysts. The first combines Fe- and Cu-exchanged zeolitic layers to expand the high NOx conversion temperature range. The second "NSR + SCR" catalyst combines periodic NOx storage and reduction with in situ NH3 generation and selective catalytic reduction of NOx. The third "Ammonia Slip Catalyst" (ASC) combines an ammonia oxidation catalyst and a metal-exchanged zeolite as a NOx reduction catalyst in a dual-layer architecture to oxidize NH3 with high selectivity to N2. We show how focused experiments complemented by modeling can not only lead to deeper insight but also to "optimal" structures and operating strategies. Bio: Dr. Michael P. Harold is the M.D. Anderson Professor and Department Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston. With expertise in reaction engineering and catalysis, Harold is the author of more than 130 peer-reviewed papers and has given over 250 presentations and invited lectures. He is the founder and principal investigator of the University of Houston's Texas Center for Clean Engines, Emissions & Fuels (TxCEF), established in 2003. Mike was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the AIChE Journal in late 2011. Mike is the 7th editor in the AIChE Journal's 57-year history. A Pittsburgh, PA native, Harold received his Bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania State University, and his PhD from the University of Houston. He joined the faculty at University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1985 where he became Associate Professor. In 1993 Harold joined DuPont Company, where he held several technical and managerial positions. In 2000 Harold returned to the University of Houston where he became the Dow Chair Professor and Department Chair, a position he held for 8 years. He was re-appointed to that position in early 2013. In 2010 Harold was named the M.D. Anderson Professor. His honors include the 2013 Ester Farfel Award at the University of Houston (highest honor bestowed on a faculty member) and the American Chemical Society's Fuel Division Richard A. Glenn Award.
