Process of activation of a palladium catalyst system

1. A process for activating a catalyst system comprising:

providing a catalyst system comprising zirconia support particles, palladium and a pre-sulfated zirconia binder; and

activating the catalyst system by passing an activation gas stream comprising an amount of each of oxygen, water vapor, nitrogen oxides, and hydrogen over the catalyst system and increasing a temperature of the catalyst system to a temperature of at least 180° C. at a heating rate of from 1-20°/min;

wherein a concentration of the nitrogen oxides is from 10-100 ppm, a concentration of the water vapor is from 1-25 vol. %, a concentration of the oxygen from 1-18 vol. %, and wherein a concentration of the hydrogen provides a hydrogen/nitrogen oxides molar ratio from 1-100.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the oxygen is from 5-10 vol. %, wherein the concentration of the water vapor is from 1-5 vol %, wherein the concentration of the nitrogen oxides is from 10-50 ppm, wherein the concentration of the hydrogen provides a hydrogen/nitrogen oxides molar ratio of from 8-80.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst system is heated to a maximum temperature of from 180° C. to 500° C.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the catalyst system is heated to a maximum temperature of from 230° C. to 300° C. at a heating rate of 2-10° C./min over a period of at least 10 minutes.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst system is cooled upon reaching the maximum temperature.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the activation gas stream is introduced into a reactor containing the catalyst system with a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of from 5,000-25,000 hr −1 .

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the zirconia support particles comprise at least one of sulfated-zirconia ((ZrO 2 )SO 4 ) or sulfated-zirconia-silica oxide ((ZrO 2 —SiO 2 )SO 4 ), and wherein the pre-sulfated zirconia binder comprises sulfuric acid-treated ZrO 2 .

8. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising, during said activating, recirculating at least a portion of the activation gas stream over the catalyst system in at least a second flowing gas stream.

9. A process for activating a catalyst system comprising:

providing a catalyst system comprising zirconia support particles, palladium, and a pre-sulfated zirconia binder; and

prior to an intended use of the catalyst system for a reduction of nitrogen oxides in a process gas stream, activating the catalyst system by passing an activation gas stream comprising an amount of each of oxygen, water vapor, nitrogen oxides, and hydrogen over the catalyst system for at least 7 minutes;

wherein during said activating, a temperature of the catalyst system is brought to a temperature of at least 180° C.

10. The process according to claim 9 , further comprising, after said activating, contacting the process gas stream with the catalyst system to reduce at least a portion of the nitrogen oxides in the process gas stream.

11. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the activation gas stream and the process gas stream are derived from the same source.

12. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the activation gas stream is passed over the catalyst system for at least an hour.

13. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the activation gas stream comprises oxygen in a concentration of from 1-18 vol. %, water vapor in a concentration of from 1-25 vol %, nitrogen oxides in a concentration of from 10-100 ppm, hydrogen in a concentration that provides a hydrogen/nitrogen oxides molar ratio of from 1-100.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the activation gas stream comprises oxygen in a concentration of from 5-10 vol. %, water vapor in a concentration of from 1-5 vol %, nitrogen oxides in a concentration of from 10-50 ppm, hydrogen in a concentration that provides a hydrogen/nitrogen oxides molar ratio of from 8-80.

15. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the catalyst system is heated to a maximum temperature of from 230° C. to 300° C. at a heating rate of 2-10° C./min over a period of at least 10 minutes.

16. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the zirconia support particles comprise at least one of sulfated-zirconia ((ZrO 2 )SO 4 ) or sulfated-zirconia-silica oxide ((ZrO 2 —SiO 2 )SO 4 ), and wherein the pre-sulfated zirconia binder comprises sulfuric acid-treated ZrO 2 .

17. The process according to claim 9 , further comprising, during said activating, recirculating at least a portion of the activation gas stream over the catalyst system in at a second flowing gas stream.

18. A process for activating a catalyst system comprising:

prior to an intended use of a palladium-based catalyst system for a reduction of nitrogen oxides in a process gas stream, activating the palladium-based catalyst system by passing the process gas stream over the palladium-based catalyst system while bringing a temperature of the palladium-based catalyst system up to a temperature of at least about 180° C. at a heating rate of from 1-20°/min;

wherein the process gas stream comprises an amount of each of oxygen, water vapor, nitrogen oxides, and hydrogen.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the process gas stream is an exhaust gas from natural gas combustion, and wherein the process gas stream comprises oxygen in a concentration of from 5-18 vol. %, water vapor in a concentration of from 1-25 vol %, nitrogen oxides in a concentration of from 10-100 ppm, hydrogen in a concentration that provides a hydrogen/nitrogen oxides molar ratio of from 1-100.

20. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the catalyst system is heated to a maximum temperature of from 230° C. to 300° C. at a heating rate of 2-10° C./min over a period of at least 10 minutes.