Effect of water content and storage conditions on the activity of PdCuFe-containing fibrous carbon catalyst for low-temperature CO oxidation

Effect of water content and storage conditions on the activity of carbon fiber supported palladium-copper-iron containing catalyst was studied. Physical-chemical properties of catalytic system were examined by means of XRD, XPS, SEM and GCh. The optimal water content in the catalyst, which ensures the most effective air purification both at low (0,03 vol.%) and high (0,5 vol.%) CO concentrations in the air and high humidity (70 %) of gas mixture, was determined.Activity loss of the catalytic system after storage under air conditions (1 month) was attributed to the accumulation of the excess amount of water in the catalyst and reorganization of its the active phase – decrease in the palladium content in the near-surface layer and segregation of the Сu2Cl(OH)3 atacamite phase. Catalyst drying in air at 110 оС leads to its complete reactivation. Hermetically sealed freshly as-prepared and dried at 50 оС after experiment samples retain the initial catalytic activity during long-term (more than a year) storage.