Catalytic combustion
of ventilation air methane (VAM) is a potential
solution for abatement of this greenhouse gas. In this study, we evaluate
the combustion of VAM (with methane concentrations below 1%) spanning
over 100 h time on stream (TOS) during reaction over a Pd/HZSM-5 catalyst.
The aim is to understand the structural changes that lead to catalyst
deactivation. We observe the formation of carbonaceous deposits even
under oxygen-rich conditions, which are an important contributor to
deactivation. X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) investigation shows
that, in addition to carbon deposits, the growth of Pd oxide clusters
leads to a reduced number of accessible sites and in turn intrinsic
activity. STEM-EDS analysis disclosed the presence of the carbonaceous
deposit on the surface of the used catalyst, and TGA confirmed the
presence of different carbon species on the used catalyst under very
lean conditions. Structural changes show that Pd–O/acid–base
interactions have a significant influence on the structure of the
active site. This assertion is consistent with findings from acid–base
characterization experiments. Although the catalyst displayed a high
level of stability over the first 10 h of VAM combustion, long-term
reaction, in the presence of water vapor, is associated with partial
rearrangement of the zeolite, accompanied by a gradual deactivation
of the catalyst. This rearrangement is associated with a decrease
in surface area and pore volume, which is consistent with the significant
changes observed in the Al-X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopic
(XANES) analysis. A comparison of the NH3-TPD of fresh
and used Pd/HZSM-5 catalysts shows that the strengths of the acid
sites are significantly reduced. This is a consequence of the changing
nature of transition metal interaction with the zeolite, which is
accompanied by the dealumination of the zeolite support, thereby enhancing
Pd agglomeration and the emergence of two low index surface orientation
facet planes identified as PdO(101) and PdO(100). A higher turnover
frequency (TOF) (0.031 s–1) for reactivated Pd/HZSM-5
after removing all carbonaceous material compared to the TOF (0.024
s–1) for used Pd/HZSM-5 was observed. The catalyst
regained 75% of its initial catalytic activity after removing carbonaceous
compound from the used catalyst. We propose the formation of a palladium
carbonaceous complex manifesting itself in carbonate and a carbonyl
group observed in used Pd/HZSM-5. These species act as an important
contributor to catalyst deactivation and cause partial reversible
deactivation during long-term VAM combustion.