Small pore molecular sieve supported copper catalysts durable against lean/rich aging for the reduction of nitrogen oxides

1. A method of using a catalyst comprising exposing a catalyst to at least one reactant in a chemical process, wherein the catalyst comprises copper and a small pore molecular sieve having a maximum ring size of eight tetrahedral atoms, the chemical process undergoes at least one period of exposure to a reducing atmosphere, the catalyst has an initial activity and the catalyst has a final activity after the at least one period of exposure to the reducing atmosphere, wherein the final activity is within 5% of the initial activity at a temperature between 200 and 500° C.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a final activity that is within 3% of the initial activity at a temperature between 250 and 350° C.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant comprises nitrogen oxides and a selective catalytic reductant.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the selective catalytic reductant comprises ammonia.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one reactant further comprises oxygen.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the small pore molecular sieve is selected from the group consisting of aluminosilicate molecular sieves, metal-substituted aluminosilicate molecular sieves, and aluminophosphate molecular sieves.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the small pore molecular sieves containing a maximum ring size of eight tetrahedral atoms is selected from the group of Framework Type Codes consisting of AEI, CHA, LEV, ERI and DDR.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the small pore molecular sieve comprises a CHA Framework Type Code selected from SAPO-34 or SSZ-13.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the small pore molecular sieve comprises a LEV Framework Type Code Nu-3.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one period of exposure to a reducing atmosphere is repeated exposure to a high temperature reducing atmosphere.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the high temperature reducing atmosphere occurs at a temperature from about 150° C. to 850° C.

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one period of exposure to a reducing atmosphere occurs during a lean/rich aging cycle in an exhaust gas treatment system.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the lean/rich aging cycle occurs repeatedly.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the chemical process is selective catalytic reduction.

15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the chemical process is catalyzed soot filter regeneration.

16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the chemical process is lean NO X trap and selective catalytic reduction.

17. A method of using a catalyst comprising exposing a catalyst to at least one reactant comprising nitrogen oxides in a chemical process comprising exhaust gas treatment, wherein the catalyst comprises copper and a small pore molecular sieve framework having a maximum ring size of eight tetrahedral atoms selected from the group of Framework Type Codes consisting of AEI, CHA, LEV, ERI and DDR, the chemical process undergoes at least one period of exposure to a reducing atmosphere, the catalyst has an initial activity, and the catalyst has a final activity after the at least one period of exposure to the reducing atmosphere, wherein the final activity is within 10% of the initial activity at a temperature between 250 and 350° C.

18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the catalyst has a final activity that is within 3% of the initial activity at a temperature between 250 and 350° C.