EVALUATION OF AUTOMOTIVE AFTERTREATMENT SYSTEMS

CRC Project No. AVFL-7a

Leaders:    T. Kowalski

                  K. J. Wright

Scope and Objective

The objective of this project is to develop a new approach for NO_x reduction in an oxidative environment. The approach is to develop precious metal/carbon nanotube composite materials as active, selective and oxidation-resistant catalysts.

Current Status and Future Program

This project was motivated by the AVFL-7 project that assessed the state-of-the art for systems that show promise of non-urea selective catalytic reduction of vehicle NOx emissions.  The University of Kentucky (UK) was selected for a three-year project through a competitive solicitation. The UK project is examining a combined high temperature/low temperature dual bed catalyst system that incorporates multi-walled carbon nano-tube (MWNT) technology. 

In Phase 1, the literature study was completed and confirmed that the proposed catalysts should be promising candidates for low temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction using hydrocarbon reductants (HC-SCR). Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to be used as catalyst supports were synthesized and treated with mineral acids. Both treated and untreated MWNTs were characterized. Precious metals were deposited on both pristine and acid treated MWNTs and the resulting products were characterized. Reference catalysts were also prepared and characterized. A dedicated microflow reactor was constructed for the purpose of catalyst testing.

In Phase 2, metals were deposited on pristine and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs and fMWNTs, respectively), and the resulting catalysts were characterized and tested in a microflow reactor. Once the catalysts with the best performance were identified, experiments were performed with the aim of optimizing these formulations with respect to the support, preparation method and supported metal phase.

Back to the AVFL Index