F. Cabello Galisteo

Deactivation on vehicle-aged diesel oxidation catalysts

This paper studies oxidation catalytic converters that were vehicle-aged in a diesel automobile. The deposition of several atoms (S, P, C, Si, Ca, Zn and Fe) was detected by several chemical analysis techniques. Moreover, AlPO4 and Al2(SO4)3 were identified by XRD. The catalytic performance of the aged catalysts with different mileages showed a similar degree of deactivation for CO and C3H6 oxidation. By contrast, laboratory sintering carried out on fresh catalysts revealed that it may have certain impact in the deactivation of diesel catalysts. Nevertheless, the possibility that the impact of chemical deposition on deactivation has a threshold value cannot be discarded.

TXRF analysis of aged three way catalysts

A methodology for the quantitative analysis of the elements present in car exhaust catalysts by TXRF is described. Some of the most relevant catalytic components (Zr, Rh, Pd) and contaminant elements (P, Pb, Zn, Pt, Ca and Ni) on car Three Way Catalysts were quantified during vehicle aging. The study was conducted along the main axis of a Ford Focus 1.6i catalytic cartridge, aiming to obtain the axial profile of the elements retained or eliminated after more than 59,000 km. The analysis of a fresh Three Way Catalysts (0 km) was also conducted for comparative purposes. The existence of a strong differences for elemental concentration in the interphase between the two blocks of the catalytic cartridge has been quantitatively measured for first time. In addition, the behaviour of the contaminant absorption capacity of both catalytic blocks has been obtained. Finally, the loss of the contaminant elements Pb and Zn to the environment has been proven.