Method for treating ammonia-containing gases

A method for treating ammonia-containing gases to remove ammonia therefrom by oxidizing the ammonia to nitrogen gas and water in the vapor phase at an elevated temperature in the presence of molecular oxygen and with a substantial reduction in the amount of nitrogen oxides being produced, which comprises contacting the ammonia-containing gases with a metal oxide catalyst of the formula:

• Cr.sub.x A.sub.y O.sub.z
• where Cr is chromium;
• A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, antimony, vanadium, cobalt, silver, zinc, nickel, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, sulfur, phosphorus, boron, germanium and zirconium;
• x is a numeral of 4 to 12;
• y is a numeral of 0.2 to 8 and z is a numeral of 6.2 to 42, at a temperature of 200.degree. to 500.degree. C., and in a molar ratio of oxygen to ammonia of one or more, said catalyst being prepared by kneading a slurry of (a) a chromium compound selected from a group consisting of chromium nitrate, chromium acetate, chromic anhydride, ammonium chromate, potassium chromate, sodium chromate, ammonium bicromate, potassium bichromate and sodium bichromate and (b) one or more members selected from the group consisting of an oxide, nitrate, chromate, carbonate, acetate or hydroxide of nickel, cobalt or zinc, or a complex salt thereof;
• a trioxide or dioxide of molybednum or tungsten, ammonium molybdate, ammonium tungstate, or a chelate compound thereof with ethanolamine;
• an oxide of tin, antimony or titanium, tin tetrachloride, tin dichloride, antimony pentachloride, antimony trichloride or titanium tetrachloride;
• divanadium pentaoxide, divanadium tetraoxide, divanadium trioxide, vanadyl oxalate, vanadyl chloride, a chelate compound thereof with ethanolamine or ammonium metavanadate;
• silver oxide, silver nitrate, silver chromate, silver bichromate or silver carbonate;
• sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate or chromium sulfate;
• phosphiric acid, phosphorus pentoxide, ammonium phosphate or chromium phosphate;
• boric acid;
• germanium dioxide or germanium chloride;
• and zirconium dioxide, zirconium silicate, zirconium nitrate or zirconium sulfate with a carrier material selected from the group consisting of silica sol and a fine powder selected from silica, diatomaceous earth or alumina together with water, drying the mixed composition so formed at a temperature sufficient to make it substantially anhydrous and calcining said anhydrous composition at a temperature of from 300.degree. to 1,000.degree. C..