Selective Catalytic Reduction

One of the big complaints with the use of industrial and utility boiler systems is the amount of nitrogen oxides or NOx that these operations release into the atmosphere. As a way to combat this problem, many manufacturers for years have used selective catalytic reduction to greatly reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions that is released.

Selective catalytic reduction for NOx reduction levels is important for protecting public health as per the Environmental Protection Agency.  One reason is that NOx mixes with other compounds and create smog, which is a significant form of air pollution. People that work outside, children and the elderly are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of smog. From a purely humanitarian aspect, companies do not want to cause harm to the people that live near their facilities, so they need to take the steps necessary to reduce the amount of pollutants they are releasing into the atmosphere.

EPA has set levels for the amount of NOx that can legally be released. In order to avoid massive fines and sanctions against their operations, companies need to do what is required in order to keep the NOx levels below federal mandates.

Selective catalytic reduction works by converting nitrogen oxides into diatomic nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O). Both of these are harmless when released, and are safe for the environment. The process for making this conversion is to combine the NOx with a reductant, typically ammonia (NH3), which then comes in contact with the catalyst to produce the reaction that separates the NOx into the N2 and H20.  A chemical reaction takes place that separates the toxic NOx into the N2 and H2O. SCR systems can reduce the amount of NOx released by 70 to 95%, depending on the application used and the type of operation it is used on.