Method for controlling and detecting ammonium nitrate and/or ammonium nitrite poisoning within selective catalytic reduction (SCR) devices and systems incorporating the same are provided. Methods can include detecting a SCR inlet exhaust gas NO.sub.2:NO.sub.x ratio above a poisoning NOx flux threshold, detecting a SCR temperature below a poisoning temperature threshold, and determining SCR catalyst poisoning. Methods can further include performing a SCR catalyst cleaning strategy, wherein the SCR cleaning strategy comprises heating the SCR catalyst composition to a temperature above the poisoning temperature threshold. Cleaning strategies can including utilizing a heater, implementing a post-injection, after-injection, and/or auxiliary injection engine strategy wherein the engine is configured to supply exhaust gas to the SCR. Methods can further include arresting reductant dosing, identifying an opportunistic regeneration opportunity, and/or inhibiting performance of an appurtenant oxidation catalyst subsequent to determining SCR catalyst poisoning. The SCR catalyst composition can comprise iron and/or copper.

The present invention provides a methane oxidation catalyst comprising one or more noble metals supported on zirconia, wherein the zirconia comprises tetragonal zirconia and monoclinic zirconia, and wherein the weight ratio of tetragonal zirconia to monoclinic zirconia is in the range of from 1:1 to 31:1. The invention further provides a process for preparing a methane oxidation catalyst, a methane oxidation catalyst thus prepared and a method of oxidizing methane.

An internal combustion engine includes an upstream side exhaust purification catalyst and a downstream side exhaust purification catalyst. The control device includes a storage amount estimating device which estimates the oxygen storage amount of the downstream side exhaust purification catalyst, and can execute fuel cut control which cuts the feed of fuel to the combustion chamber during operation of the internal combustion engine when the engine speed is the lowest reference speed or more. The control device lowers the lowest reference speed when the storage amount estimated by the storage amount estimating device has become a given limit storage amount or less, compared with when it is larger than the limit storage amount. As a result, a control device can effectively keep the oxygen storage amount of the downstream side exhaust purification catalyst from decreasing to zero.