Process for the catalytic reduction of nitric oxide

Claim 1

A method for the catalytic reduction of nitric oxide which includes: (a) blending ammonia with a gaseous stream comprising nitric oxide and oxygen, the ammonia added in an amount sufficient to react with the total amount of nitric oxide in the stream to form a blended stream; (b) placing the blended stream of step (a) in catalytic contact with a pretreated base metal catalyst at a temperature between about 300° F.-700° F. to reduce the nitric oxide to nitrogen while preventing the formation of nitrous oxide, the catalyst selected from the group consisting of copper, vanadium, iron and molybdenum and combinations thereof which catalyst has been contacted with a compound selected from the group consisting of sulfur, dimethyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide and combinations thereof at a temperature of between about 400° F.-900° F. to form the pretreated catalyst.

Claim 2

A method for the catalytic reduction of nitric oxide which includes: (a) blending ammonia with a gaseous stream comprising nitric oxide and oxygen, the ammonia added in an amount sufficient to react with the total amount of nitric oxide in the stream to form a blended stream; (b) placing the blended stream of step (a) in catalytic contact with a pretreated base metal catalyst at a temperature between about 300° F.-700° F. to reduce the nitric oxide to nitrogen while preventing the formation of nitrous oxide, the catalyst selected from the group consisting of copper, vanadium, iron and molybdenum and combinations thereof which catalyst has been contacted with a compound selected from the group consisting of sulfur, dimethyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide and combinations thereof at a temperature of between about 400° F.-900° F. to form the pretreated catalyst.