This SBIR project will develop a new technology for the removal and destruction of NOx pollutants from diesel engine exhaust. Four important issues will be addressed in the project. The first issue will be applying a zeolite coating to reticulated catalyst supports with the correct chemical composition and pore size distribution. The second issue will be doping the zeolite metal with an ion exchange process followed by application of a stabilizing nano-oxide coating to complete the catalyst support system. The third issue will be the design architecture for placement in the exhaust stream. The fourth and final issue will be measuring the systems and evaluating their effectiveness, cost, life cycle, and ease of manufacture.
The broader/commercial impacts of the proposed project will be a low-cost emission abatement device that can be easily retrofitted to currently operating diesel powered vehicles with emission control capabilities. The reduction of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic carbons, and carbon monoxide has associated health benefits. EPA estimates that over 86,000 tons of particulates and 440,000 tons of NOx can be removed from the air with the use of clean burning off-road diesel engines.
