Hyundai, Research Partners Tout High-Temp Diesel Catalyst

Hyundai Motors Co. and its research partners in South Korea and the U.K. say they have developed a new catalyst that can operate at temperatures 150°C above current devices when treating oxides of nitrogen emissions in diesel-powered vehicles.

The group is comprised of Hyundai, Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology and the U.K.’s University of St. Andrews. It published a paper describing the work in the weekly German science journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

The new catalyst is described as divalent copper ions fully exchanged into high-silica LTA zeolites. When coupled with a urea additive, the system maintained NOx reduction levels during tests at engine temperatures as high as 900°C (1,650°F), according to the researchers.

Current selective catalytic reduction with urea-based systems have diminished performance at temperatures above 750°C (1,380°F) as urea is converted into ammonia. This limits how close a catalyst can be placed to the engine, which in turn hinders cold-start engine performance.

The partners plan to conduct further research and are applying for patents for the technology.