Oxidation characteristics of nitrogen monoxide (NO) to nitrogen dioxide (NO
2) was studied by adding dimethyl ether to model combustion flue gases in a quartz flow reactor. The kinetic simulation model of CH
3OCH
3-NO-O
2 system was used to investigate the mechanism of converting NO to NO
2. The operating parameters are reaction temperature, the amount of DME (dimethyl ether) addition, and O
2 concentration.
The oxidation of NO to NO
2 by the addition of dimethyl ether occurred at the temperature range of 600-1050K in the presence of oxygen. The plots of percent of NO oxidation vs. reaction temperature indicate that there exist two optimum temperature ranges of 650-750K and 850-950K. The optimum peak at the lower temperature range (650-750K) was more susceptive to the amount of DME added and O
2 concentration. However, at the highest DME amount and O2 concentration used, the NO oxidation percent was high all over the 650-950K range.
The results of the kinetic simulation show that the reaction paths of NO oxidation to NO2 by adding dimethyl ether at the low temperature range of 650-750K is different from those at the high temperature range of 850-950K.
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