Study of the reversible/irreversible character of the deactivation of CuO/SBA–15 SOx adsorbents in wet conditions under SO2 adsorption/regeneration cycling experiments

The effect of water vapor on the DeSOx performance regenerable CuO/SBA-15 adsorbent was investigated for different temperatures adsorption/regeneration cycles and CuO loadings. At 400 °C a significant decrease both dynamic total SO2 adsorption capacity compared to ones measured without observed. This could be related faster migration aggregation active phase, an competition between molecules sites and/or formation copper based sulfate/oxysulfate/hydroxy-oxysulfate species difficult decompose during reductive regeneration step. On other hand, at 450 leads increase by more than 20%, which might due acceleration oxidation SO2, chemisorption sulfur efficient step with regard °C. loading from 15 7 wt% lower deactivation (i.e loss capacity) breakthrough under wet conditions. Whatever temperature loading, once is removed gas stream, capacities are totally or partially recovered. behavior shows that CuO/SBA–15 induced reversible phenomenon. It appears process towards pore mouth phase occur conditions large particles CuO.