Reduction of Oxides of Nitrogen in Diesel Exhaust with Addition of Methylamine

Abstract

A chemical gas-phase process capable of reducing nitric oxide from diesel engine exhaust is studied. In this process, the reductant consists of water-solved methylamine (CH₃NH₂). The reactions were carried out in an electrically heated quartz flow reactor at temperatures in the range of 300 K to 900 K with molar ratio [CH₃NH₂]/[NO] from 1 to 5. Results show that an addition of methylamine into exhaust at relatively low temperatures is effective in breaking down nitric oxide into N₂ and H₂O, and a NO reduction ratio of more than 70% is obtained in the reactor temperature range of 673 K to 800 K with molar ratio of 1.3.