SO2 and NO Simultaneous Removal from Simulated Flue Gas over Cerium-Supported Palm Shell Activated at Lower Temperatures—Role of Cerium on NO Removal

Cerium (Ce) supported on palm-shell-activated carbon (PSAC) has been found to significantly increase its activity in simultaneous removal SO2 and NO from simulated flue gas. In the present study, the role of Ce on SO2 and NO removal was studied through reaction adsorption. The catalyst was characterized using BET, EDAX, and SEM. It was found that PSAC could remove SO2 only without the addition of Ce, and NO could be removed in the presence of Ce loaded over PSAC. The experimental results showed Ce10/PSAC catalyst at 100 °C yield the best breakthrough time for simultaneous removal of NO and SO2. NO removal lasted for 115 min, whereas SO2 for 165 min. As the Ce content was increased from 5 to 12%, NO conversion increased significantly, but dropped with further increase in Ce content. Higher temperatures do not encourage the simultaneous adsorption of SO2 and NO. It was found that SO2 and NO create competitive phenomenon toward the active sites of PSAC and Ce/PSAC. SO2 removal was not affected by the additio...