Rapid screening of CO oxidation catalysts using optical calorimetry

In this study, optical calorimetry is introduced for the investigation of activation procedures and catalyst composition on the catalytic CO oxidation at ambient conditions. In addition, temperature dependent measurements are presented using a novel temperature-controlled InfraSORP technology. Temperature dependent measurements as well as the influence of different activation conditions were carried out using a commercially available copper manganese oxide catalyst (CARULITE 300). The influence of the catalyst composition was investigated on copper manganese mixed oxides synthesized by a flame spray pyrolysis process. By comparing the results of optical calorimetry to in situ catalytic measurements, a good linear correlation of the optical signal and the CO conversion is demonstrated. In contrast to standard catalysis, the optical calorimetry allows a rapid screening (only 5-10 min per sample) with even a minimal amount of catalyst sample prior to testing any final candidates for respiratory filter materials in real applications.