온실효과를 발생시킬 수 있는 $SF_6$는 고체 산 촉매상에서 물과 산소에 의해 가수분해 및 산화반응에서 황 및 불소화합물로 분해될 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 $SF_6$ 제거를 위한 고체 산 촉매로 ${gamma}-Al_2O_3$가 사용되었으며, 반응온도와 공간속도에 따른 촉매활성이 조사되었다. 가수분해에 의한 촉매환성은 $20,000;ml/g_{-cat}{cdot}h$의 공간속도와 973 K이상의 반응온도 조건에서 $SF_6$ 전화율이 거의 100% 달하는 최대 값에 도달하였다. 공간속도가 $45,000;ml/g_{-cat}{cdot}h$이하에서 $SF_6$ 전화율은 최대값이 유지되었다. 한편, 동일한 반응조건에서 산화반응에 의한 $SF_6$ 전화율은 약 20%정도였다. ${gamma}-Al_2O_3$는 가수분해과정 에서 ${alpha}-Al_2O_3$, 산화반응과정에서 $AlF_3$로 각각 변화됨을 SEM과 XRD분석에 의해 확인되었다. 산화반응 후 $AlF_3$는 $20;{mu}m$이상 성장되었고, 이들의 촉매활성은 낮은 표면적 때문에 매우 낮아졌다. 그러므로 $SF_6$의 분해를 위한 촉매반응은 산화반응보다는 가수분해가 유리하다고 판단된다.
$SF_6$, which has a high global warming potential, can be decomposed to sulfur and fluorine compounds through hydrolysis by $H_2O$ or oxidation by $O_2$ over solid acid catalysts. In this study ${gamma}-Al_2O_3$ was employed as the solid acid catalyst for the abatement of $SF_6$ and its catalytic activity was investigated with respect to the reaction temperature and the space velocity. The catalytic activity for $SF_6$ decomposition by the hydrolysis reached the maximum at and above 973 K with the space velocity of $20,000;ml/g_{-cat}{cdot}h$, exhibiting a conversion very close to 100%. When the space velocity was lower than $45,000;ml/g_{-cat}{cdot}h$, the conversion was maintained at the maximum value. On the other hand, the conversion of $SF_6$ by the oxidation was about 20% under the same conditions. The SEM and XRD analyses revealed that the ${gamma}-Al_2O_3$ was transformed to ${alpha}-Al_2O_3$ during the hydrolysis and to $AlF_3$ during the oxidation, respectively. The size of $AlF_3$ after the oxidation was over $20;{mu}m$, and its catalytic activity was low due to the low surface area. Therefore, it was concluded that the hydrolysis over ${gamma}-Al_2O_3$ was much more favorable than the oxidation for the catalytic decomposition of $SF_6$.
