RESUMO
The present work highlights the intrinsic catalytic properties of extruded clay honeycomb monolith toward complete oxidation of various air pollutants namely CO, methane, propane, acetylene, propene, n-butene, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, acetone, dimethyl ether, benzene, toluene, o-xylene, monochlorobenzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. Total catalytic conversion was achieved for all tested compounds with different behaviors depending on pollutants' structural and chemical nature. The comparison of T50 values obtained from light-off curves allowed the establishment of the following reactivity sequence: ketone>alcohol>ether>CO>alkyne>aromatic>alkene>chlorinated aromatic>alkane. The intrinsic catalytic performances of the natural clay was ascribed to the implication of a quite complex mixture constituted by OH groups (Brønsted acids) and coordinately-unsaturated cations, such as Al(3+), Fe(3+) and Fe(2+) (Lewis acids). Hence, the combination of the clay's intrinsic catalytic performances and easier extrudability suggests a promissory potential for application in air pollution control.
