Low-temperature deep oxidation of dichloromethane and trichloroethylene by H-ZSM-5-supported manganese oxide catalysts

The catalytic activity and selectivity of a series of H-ZSM-5-supported manganese oxide catalysts with various manganese content, namely 1.0, 4.3, and 8.3 wt%, were evaluated for the oxidation of dichloromethane (DCM) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Previously, the highly active performance of H-ZSM-5 zeolite with respect to other supports, such as alumina and silica, was demonstrated, pointing out that the acidic properties of the support along with a high metallic dispersion of the resultant catalyst were key factors conditioning the catalytic performance. Mn(4.3%)/H-ZSM-5 catalyst was found to be an optimum catalyst for the combustion of both single and double carbon chlorinated compounds achieving >95% conversion levels at temperatures between 400 and 450 °C. The major oxidation products were carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and chlorine. It was observed that high manganese loadings led to increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and chlorine.