Integrated Fuel Technologies gets worldwide license for
Argonne-developed Diesel DeNOx Catalyst
Technology reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by stunning
95 percent
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ARGONNE, Ill. (July 1, 2008)—A new, patented catalyst developed by scientists
at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to reliably
and economically reduce 95 to 100 percent of the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions
from diesel-fueled engines has been licensed to Integrated
Fuel Technologies,
Inc. (IFT), a start-up company based in Kirkland, Wash.
IFT plans to integrate the technology – named Diesel DeNOx Catalyst – into
the firm's existing products that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, said
IFT president Robert Firebaugh. The products could be sold to original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs).
"OEMs have
expressed an interest in IFT products enhanced with the Diesel DeNOx Catalyst," Firebaugh
said. "These companies want to know if the technology can survive continuous
testing."
"The catalyst can also be easily retrofitted for installation on existing
diesel engine vehicles," said Christopher Marshall, the Argonne chemist
who led the development of technology. "There is a potentially large pool
of customers for this technology, given the 11 million diesel engines currently
on the road."
Emissions of NOx are regulated by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), which began implementing on Jan. 1, 2007, a
more stringent regulation to reduce releases of the smog-causing pollutant
by 2.6 million tons a year on a phased-in basis through 2010. Standards set
by the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) are the strictest in the United
States. Argonne and IFT aim for the Diesel DeNOx technology to meet CARB
standards.
IFT is also collaborating with Argonne under a two-year research agreement
to test the technology's longevity in real-world use and to demonstrate it
in real-world applications to determine if it can meet a broad array of transportation
applications.
The Diesel DeNOx Catalyst is a coating that is applied to a ceramic brick,
like a catalytic converter, which is installed in a vehicle's emissions system.
The technology works in conjunction with the particulate matter (PM) trap's
filter. The PM trap's filter removes soot from diesel exhaust, which is then
processed by the Diesel DeNOx Catalyst to remove NOx emissions.
"The key to the Diesel DeNOx Catalyst technology is the reductant," Marshall
said. "Interestingly, it is the diesel fuel that reduces the NOx to nitrogen,
a harmless compound that composes about 72 percent of the Earth's atmosphere.
The catalyst achieves such high rates of conversion because of its interactions
with the hydrocarbons in the diesel fuel. The reduction in NOx emissions comes
as a result of its conversion into nitrogen."
Moreover, the Diesel DeNOx Catalyst has increased performance in the presence
of water vapors. "That characteristic makes it ideal for use in automotive
and truck exhaust systems, where water is always present," Marshall said.
Marshall and Argonne fellow researchers have also found the Diesel DeNOx
Catalyst to be economical to make and use. The technology uses inexpensive
metals — copper and cerium. Using diesel fuel as the reductant eliminates the
need for onboard storage of compounds like ammonia or urea that existing technologies
use as reductants, he said. Compared to existing technologies, Marshall said,
Diesel DeNOx reduces the amount of additional weight a vehicle has to carry,
allowing for more efficient use of a vehicle's fuel.
"Furthermore," he said, "the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel that
will soon be required for off-road use and is now mandated for on-highway use
actually extends the life of the catalyst technology, which is poisoned by
the sulfur."
The Diesel DeNOx Catalyst is a low-cost technology given the usable lifetime
of the catalyst, which is about 400,000 miles. A typical semi-tractor trailer
or shipping and delivery service truck is driven about 45,000 miles in year,
according to the American Trucking Association.
Funding to develop the Diesel DeNOx Catalyst was provided by Argonne's Laboratory-Directed
Research and Development program.
Argonne National Laboratory brings the world's brightest scientists and engineers
together to find exciting and creative new solutions to pressing national problems
in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne
conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every
scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from
hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies
to help them solve their specific problems, advance America 's scientific leadership
and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60
nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago
Argonne, LLC for the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please contact Angela Hardin (630/252-5501
or ahardin@anl.gov) at Argonne.
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