Toyota's New Exhaust Purifying Catalyst Reduces Precious Metal Usage by 20%
February 22 2017 - 12:00AM
JCN Newswire (English)
Toyota Motor Corporation announces the commercial availability
of a new, smaller catalyst that uses 20% less precious metal in
approximately 20% less volume, while maintaining the same exhaust
gas purification performance. The design is the world's first
integrally-molded Flow Adjustable Design Cell (FLAD) substrate,
with a different cell cross-sectional area at the inner portion
compared to that at the outer portion. Innovative design and
manufacturing technologies have allowed for the mass production of
the new catalyst, which will gradually be installed in new vehicle
models, starting from the Lexus LC 500h later this year.
Increased usage of catalytic precious metals to clean exhaust gas
and improve air pollution issues present many issues, including
increased costs and resource depletion. Toyota has conducted
extensive research and development into finding solutions to help
improve the purification efficiency of catalytic precious metals,
such as finding the optimal substrate shape and length, as well as
modifying the cell wall thickness and cross-sectional area. Other
R&D efforts include selectively washcoating precious metals and
other catalytic materials, and changing catalytic substrate cell
density in line with exhaust gas flows.
Toyota and Denso Corporation have developed this new FLAD substrate
to improve the uniformity of exhaust gas flow. Through a series of
validations using simulations and prototype substrates, both
companies have succeeded in improving uniformity of exhaust gas
flow within the catalyst by optimizing factors such as the ratios
of cross-sectional areas of cells at the inner and outer portions,
and their corresponding densities. As such, with this development,
approximately 20% less precious metal is used in a more compact
catalyst that contains approximately 20% less volume, while
maintaining the same exhaust gas purification performance as that
of conventional catalysts. The newly developed innovative design
and manufacturing technologies have also allowed for the mass
production of the world's first integrally molded catalyst.
http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_ToyotaCatalyst1.jpg
Currently, the most commonly used substrate in exhaust gas
purifying catalysts for gasoline engines is made of ceramic
(cordierite), which utilizes a honeycomb structure consisting of
square or hexagonal cells. The walls of cells within this substrate
are washcoated with catalytic materials, like platinum (Pt),
rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd) and other precious metals. This
provides a catalytic effect, where through oxidation-reduction,
harmful gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons
(HC), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) are purified within the exhaust to
help make them safe.
While conventional catalysts have a uniform cell cross-sectional
area, the newly developed FLAD substrate has a structure with a
different cell cross-sectional area at the inner portion compared
to that at the outer portion. Toyota has succeeded in mass
producing this substrate with the world's first design and
manufacturing technology that is able to integrally mold the
catalyst.
http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_ToyotaCatalyst2.jpg
Uniform exhaust gas flow within the catalysts installed in exhaust
pipes enables the washcoated precious metals and other catalytic
materials to effectively purify the exhaust gas. However, the use
of conventional substrates with uniform cell cross-sectional area
results in an unbalanced flow of exhaust gas because the flow of
gas through the inner portion of the catalyst is faster, and at a
higher volume than that through the outer portion. As a result,
more catalytic precious metal is required at the inner portion of
the catalyst, where the flowrate is greater, in order to maintain
purification performance. Current catalytic material washcoating
technologies require all cell walls to be coated equally during the
washcoating process, so parts of the catalyst with a lower exhaust
gas flowrate are coated with the same amount of catalytic precious
metals as those parts which have a higher flowrate.
Going forward, Toyota remains committed to working actively with
our group companies and related business partners to further
develop catalyst technologies that will help to achieve cleaner
exhaust gas with reduced usage of precious metals.
(1) As of January 2017, according to Toyota research
(2) FLAD (Flow Adjustable Designed Cell) is a registered trademark
of Denso Corporation. This newly designed catalyst substrate has a
different cell cross-sectional area at the inner portion compared
to that at the outer portion.
About Toyota
Supported by people around the world, Toyota Motor Corporation
(TSE:7203; NYSE:TM), has endeavored since its establishment in 1937
to serve society by creating better products. As of the end of
December 2013, Toyota conducts its business worldwide with 52
overseas manufacturing companies in 27 countries and regions.
Toyota's vehicles are sold in more than 170 countries and regions.
For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota
Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926
Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
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