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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">NAME: </span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Pritpal Singh Dhillon</span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">DATE: </span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Tuesday, December 3, 2019</span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">TIME: </span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">NOON</span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">PLACE:</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> Chemical Engineering Conference Room</span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">CHAIR/ADVISOR: </span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Dr. Michael Harold</span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">TITLE:</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">REACTION AND TRANSPORT COUPLING IN MULTI-FUNCTIONAL CATALYSTS FOR SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF AMMONIA TO NITROGEN</span></b></p>
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A multi-functional catalytic reactor (popularly known as “Ammonia Slip Catalyst (ASC)” or “AMOx”) comprising Pt/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and Cu or Fe-exchanged zeolite is utilized for selective oxidization of NH<sub>3</sub> to N<sub>2</sub> in the diesel
engine emission control system. Pt catalyzes the oxidation of NH<sub>3</sub> to four products (N<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O, NO, NO<sub>2</sub>) while the metal-exchanged zeolite concurrently catalyzes the selective catalytic reduction of NO/NO<sub>2</sub>
with NH<sub>3</sub>, directing the product mixture towards N<sub>2</sub>. The state-of-the-art ASC has a dual-layer washcoat architecture with a bottom layer of Pt/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and a top layer of Cu/SSZ-13.<b><span style="text-transform:uppercase">
</span></b>As emission control catalysts experience degradation under the severe operating conditions which can negatively impact the product distribution and conversion. The first part of this dissertation study elucidates the effect of hydrothermal aging
on the performance of a Pt/<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; top:3.0pt"><img width="9" height="19" id="_x0000_i1025" style="width:.0937in; height:.1979in" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1" src="cid:image001.png@01D5A397.49C23070"></span>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>,
Cu/SSZ-13 and dual-layer washcoated monolith used for oxidation of ammonia. The catalysts was subjected to a feed stream containing H<sub>2</sub>O at 550
<sup>o</sup>C for over 250 hours and performance was measured at discrete intervals as it was progressively aged.<b><span style="text-transform:uppercase"> </span></b></p>
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<span style="color:black">In the next part of this study, the enhanced mass transport phenomenon coupled with multi-functional catalytic reactions in ASC is investigated. Earlier works have shown that pore diffusion can be limiting in ASC. we used sacrificial
agents (polymer, yeast) to increase the porosity of washcoat for ASC. The sacrificial agents are removed by oxidation generating pores to increase the washcoat macroporosity. Steady state reaction experiments showed a noted increase in NH<sub>3</sub> conversion
while testing NH<sub>3</sub> oxidation the dual-layer ASC with negligible change in N<sub>2</sub> selectivity.
</span>Modeling and analysis of ASC catalysts is presented using 1 + 1 dimensional reactor model containing tuned multi-step kinetic formulations to simulate ASC performance for understanding and optimization. We also describe a systematic study to identify
the ASC architecture and composition that optimize the trade-off between conversion and selectivity. The in-house synthesized ASC samples span the single layer Pt/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, conventional dual-layer Pt/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> + Cu/SSZ-13,
uniform single layer of mixed Pt/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> + Cu/SSZ-13, and a hybrid design comprising a bottom layer of mixed Pt/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> + Cu/SSZ-13 and a thin top layer of Cu/SSZ-13.</p>
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