Performance Characterization of Activated Carbon and Oxidation Catalyst for Gaseous Trace Contaminant Control

Performance characteristics of Engelhard 0.5% palladium on alumina catalyst for oxidizing ppm levels of methane in air were studied with catalyst bed temperatures ranging from 290 to 400°C. Methane oxidation efficiencies resulted in values from 41% to 99%. Barnebey-Sutcliffe type AC activated carbon, untreated and treated with ortho-phosphoric acid (up to 2 millimoles per gram weight of carbon) were characterized by measuring its physical and chemical adsorption capacity for n- butane, m-xylene, dichlorodifluoromethane (Freon 12), and ammonia in dry air (-690C dew point).