Method of catalytically oxidizing alcohol vapor accompanied by varying

Abstract

A method is disclosed for substantially completely catalytically oxidizing alcohol vapor and/or formaldehyde vapor contained in low concentration in a heated carrier gas mixture at low temperatures such as encountered in exhaust gas treatment during the engine warm-up period and having oxygen present in a wide range of lambda values from momentarily rich (0.8) to very lean engine operation (lambda>5). The carrier gas mixture is sequentially exposed (i) to a first catalyst consisting substantially of palladium and of rhodium in a weight ratio of Rh/Pd of 0-0.3, and/or CeO.sub.2 in a weight ratio of CeO.sub.2 Pd of 0-50, and (ii) subsequently immediately to a second catalyst consisting substantially of the base metal silver, whereby the combination of said catalysts synergistically improve the oxidation of said mixture to achieve at least a 96% oxidation conversion of said alcohol vapor and to produce less than 1% of the coverted methanol as aldehydes. Palladium is effective in converting methanol to CO.sub.2 and water vapor at relatively low light-off temperatures in the absence as well as in the presence of excess oxygen. The resultant gas products from oxidation over the palladium catalyst will be elevated in temperature and be more suitable for further conversion by a separate silver catalyst, preferably in the presence of excess oxygen.