An exhaust-belching diesel engine is a vivid example of dirty power. But one California company has developed a new material that could give diesel a new image.
Nanostellar Inc. has created a manmade catalyst that it says could radically improve the pollution control technology used in diesel engines. The material, known as Noxicat, is designed to replace platinum in emissions control systems.
A study of the new catalyst published in the journal Science found the material is significantly cheaper than platinum and can reduce pollution up to 45 percent better. Bulent Yavuz, Nanosteller’s vice president of sales and marketing, said in a company press release that heavy-duty diesel engine makers are already excited about adopting the new technology.
From an environmental perspective, diesel engines are a mixed bag. They’re much more fuel efficient than gasoline engines, but they spew out more pollution, including nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. They generally use petroleum-based fuel, but they can also run on biodiesel, which is renewable and less polluting.
In recent years, higher government standards around emissions have forced manufacturers to make improvements to catalytic converters that eliminate some pollutants from diesel exhaust. Noxicat could mean another step in that direction.
Noxicat is an artificial form of mullite, a type of oxide that takes its name from the Scottish Isle of Mull, where it was first found. Using computer modeling, researchers found that it can interact with nitrogen oxides and oxygen to eliminate much of the toxic emissions for exhaust. The company is also exploring other uses for mullite, including fuel cells.
Aside from Nanosteller, the study received funding from the Texas Advanced Computing Center and the National Research Foundation of South Korea.
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