An object of the present invention is to provide a new
exhaust gas purification apparatus for an
internal combustion engine operated under a condition of an
air fuel ratio leaner than a theoretical
air fuel ratio, a method for purification of
exhaust gas and an
exhaust gas purification catalyst, which is suitable for suppressing degradation of the
NOx purification catalyst by
sulfur components. An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an
internal combustion engine, which comprises an exhaust gas passage for an
internal combustion engine into which exhaust gas of lean
air fuel ratio and rich or stoichiometric air fuel ratio flows, a
NOx trapping catalyst that functions to trap
NOx in the exhaust gas when the air fuel ratio is lean, a
sulfur component
trapping agent for
trapping sulfur components in the exhaust gas, which is disposed before the NOx trapping catalyst, and a catalyst for oxidizing the sulfur components, which is disposed before the sulfur component trapping agent, wherein the sulfur component trapping agent has a trapping rate of 85 % or more of an amount of inflow sulfur in a trapping test at a flow rate of 150 ppm SO3-5% O2—balance being N2 gas per 1.5 moles of the sulfur trapping agent at 300° C. and a
space velocity of 30,000 / h for 1 hour; and the sulfur component trapping agent has a release rate of sulfur amount of 5 % or less of sulfur trapped in the sulfur component trapping agent in a release test under a flow of a 3000 ppm H2-600 ppm C3H6-3000 ppm O2-3.5 % CO—balance being N2 gas at a
temperature elevation rate of 10° C. / min from 250 to 750° C. at an sulfur component trapping agent entrance, after the trapping test.