Using real particulate matter to evaluate combustion catalysts for direct regeneration of diesel soot filters

Ramdas, Ragini, Nowicka, Ewa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7449-2720, Jenkins, Robert Leyshon, Sellick, David, Davies, Catherine and Golunski, Stanislaw E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7980-8624 2015. Using real particulate matter to evaluate combustion catalysts for direct regeneration of diesel soot filters. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 176-17 , pp. 436-443. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.04.031

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Abstract

The particulate produced by internal combustion engines has a complex composition that includes a large proportion of porous soot within which condensed and adsorbed organic molecules are trapped. However, many studies of the catalytic combustion of particulate are based on the assumption that commercially produced carbon can be used as a reliable mimic of engine soot. Here we show that soot removed from a diesel particulate filter is rich in the polyaromatic molecules that are the precursors of the solid particulate. Through a combination of solvent extraction and evolved gas analysis, we have been able to track the release and transformation of these molecules in the absence and presence of combustion catalysts. Our results reveal that, although the rate of combustion of the elemental carbon in diesel soot is higher than that of graphite, deep oxidation of the polyaromatic molecules is a more demanding reaction. An active and stable Ag–K catalyst lowers the combustion temperature for elemental carbon by >200 °C, but has little effect on the condensed polyaromatic molecules. The addition of a secondary catalyst component, with aromatic-oxidation functionality is required to target these molecules. Although the combined catalyst would not enable a completely passive regeneration system for diesel passenger cars, it would improve the efficiency of existing active systems by reducing the amount of fuel-injection required for trap regeneration.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Cardiff Catalysis Institute (CCI) Chemistry
Subjects:	Q Science > QD Chemistry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Diesel exhaust; Particulate matter; Filter regeneration; Catalytic combustion; Aftertreatment
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0926-3373
Funders:	EPSRC, JM, Cardiff University
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Date of Acceptance:	16 April 2015
Last Modified:	05 Feb 2025 22:26
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/72893

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