Three-way Catalyst Research Articles

Results on the Use of an Original Burner for Reducing the Three-Way Catalyst Light-Off Time

Individual road mobility comes with two major challenges: greenhouse gas emissions related to global warming and chemical pollution. For the pollution reduction in the spark ignition engine vehicle, the standard and reliable aftertreatment technology is the three-way catalytic converter (TWC). However, the TWC starts to convert once an optimal temperature, usually known as the light-off temperature, is reached. There are many methods to reduce the warm-up period of the TWC, among which is using a burner. The initial question underlying this study was to see if the use of a relatively straightforward extra-combustion device mounted upstream the TWC, without complex elements, was able to serve the purpose of reducing the light-off time. Consequently, an original burner was designed and investigated numerically via the CFD method and experimentally via measurements of the temperature evolution within a TWC, along with the emissions specific to the burner’s operation. The main findings of this study are: (1) the CFD-based examination is a good way to decide on how to achieve the so-called fit-for-purpose internal aerodynamics of the burner (i.e., to obtain a homogeneous mixture) and (2) to reach the light-off temperature, conventionally taken as 500 K, the burner was operated for 5.2 s, i.e., 3.6 g of gasoline injected, 2.7 g of CO2 and 1.351 g of CO, respectively, emitted. Moreover, this study identified measures for improving the burner’s design as well as an enhanced procedure for the burner’s operating control both aiming to produce a cleaner combustion during the TWC pre-heating.

Promotional Effect of the Periodic Rich and Lean Switching on the Performance of Three-Way Catalysts and Influence of Metal Zone-Coating

Promotional Effect of the Periodic Rich and Lean Switching on the Performance of Three-Way Catalysts and Influence of Metal Zone-Coating

An efficient product design tool for aftertreatment system

A numerical simulation technique based on the conservation of mass and energy in the gas phase has been developed to optimize the aftertreatment system with the lowest costs. Both oxygen storage capacity model and catalyst deterioration model have been integrated into the three-way catalyst performance model. Applications have been discussed, including XY-L 1.5L I3 gasoline turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) production hybrid vehicle, BY-L 1.5L I4 GTDI hybrid vehicle, XY-L (overseas version) 1.5L I4 GTDI hybrid vehicle, and G-L7 1.5L I4 GTDI hybrid vehicle. Vehicle tests in support of the proposed model have been described. The developed model covers the complete range of the cold start, high temperature and volume flow conditions. To optimize a three-way catalyst performance, this work simulated the effect of air fuel ratio, space velocity, temperature, biasing adjustment on the catalyst efficiency. The simulations presented the technique’s capability of well predicting emissions on fresh and full useful life aged aftertreatment systems, respectively, and carried out under transient conditions. The investigation indicated that excess fueling was used upon engine start to heat the catalyst up to its full operating temperature of greater than 350°C. The model results prompted a redesign of the I3 and I4 1.5L GTDI China 6b, Euro VId and Tier 3/SULEV30 exhaust systems over the world light vehicle test procedure (WLTP) and federal test procedure (FTP) cycles, respectively, for example, the model suggested that the latest design for the SULEV30 aftertreatment system on XY-L (overseas version) 1.5L I4 GTDI hybrid vehicle with the revised calibrations in the areas of cold-start and closed-loop fuel treated emissions of NMOG, NOx, and CO to the 70% of the SULEV30 standards with a $64 cost reduction relative to the baseline.

Efficient control of automotive emission by Pt-based and Rh-based three-way catalysts: The critical role of phase structure of ceria-zirconia support

Rationally design efficient supports material is essential for heterogeneous catalysts with enhanced activity in many industrial catalytic processes, accordingly a clear understanding of the support effect is necessary. Herein, two ceria-zirconia materials without/with partial κ-Ce2Zr2O8(CZ/κCZ) structure were achieved and then employed as supports for Rh-based and Pt-based three-way catalysts (TWCs), respectively. According to the results of systematic characterizations, it has been manifested that the surface conditions of supports significantly affected the activity and stability of Rh-based and Pt-based catalysts. As κCZ exhibits an intrinsic Zr-rich surface with more oxygen vacancies with respect to CZ, Rh species supported on κCZ mainly occupy the Zr sites over the surface, thus exhibit a more electronic-rich and active state due to the decreased Rh-Ce interfaces, which weakened the undesirable electron transfer from Rh to Ce. As a result, κCZ delivered as an ideal support for improving the performance of Rh-based TWCs effectively. On contrary, comparing with Pt/CZ, more serious sintering of Pt nanoparticles and inferior activity as well as stability have been detected in Pt/κCZ due to the decreased Pt-Ce interfaces, which weakened the anchor effects of the support through Pt-O-Ce bonds. This finding enhances the understanding of support effects for the development of advanced TWCs.

Promotion of La2O3 on Pd/Al2O3 three-way catalyst for passive selective catalytic reduction operation

For three-way catalysts (TWC) applied in lean burn gasoline engines for passive selective catalytic reduction (pSCR) operation, besides the conversion efficiency of HC/CO/NO, the production of NH3 is also an important concern. In this work, La2O3 was introduced into the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst system, the influence on its TWC performance for pSCR operation was investigated, and the physicochemical properties were characterized by a range of techniques. The results reveal that the introduced La2O3 mainly interacts with Al2O3 by preferentially anchoring to the tetra-coordinated Al sites on the surface. When the catalyst is modified by appropriate amount of La2O3 (4 wt%), higher dispersion of Pd species, larger amount of Pd2+ and active oxygen species are achieved, which well contributes to improved low-temperature reduction ability and NH3 desorption property of the catalyst. As a consequence, excellent catalytic conversions of HC/CO/NO are obtained, and meanwhile, higher concentration of NH3 is generated, making the modified catalyst more promising for pSCR operation.

Enhancing effect of lanthanum doping on anti-thermal aging performance for Cu/CeZrO2 three-way catalyst

Copper-based catalysts exhibit excellent three-way catalytic activity but tend to undergo agglomeration at high temperatures, resulting in inadequate thermal stability. This study focuses on construction of strong metal-support interactions through La doping to improve the thermal stability and resistance to thermal aging of the catalysts. Cu/CeZrLaO2 demonstrates superior thermal aging resistance even after thermal aged at 1000 °C for 3 h, which still maintains 88% and 100% for CO and HC conversion, and more than 65% NO conversion at the simulated vehicle exhaust atmosphere. The introduction of La into the CeZrO2 support forms Ce-Zr-La-O ternary solid solution, enhancing the structural stability and suppressing grain growth at elevated temperatures. Meanwhile, the doping of this trivalent generates a large number of oxygen vacancies in the catalyst, which improves the dispersion of copper through the anchoring effect. Crucially, La substantially strengthens the metal-support interaction, preventing sintering and agglomeration of copper under harsh conditions, ultimately maintaining the dispersion of copper on the catalyst surface. The present work effectively improves the thermal stability of the Cu/CeZrO2 catalyst, establishing a foundation for the further industrial application of the copper-based three-way catalyst.

Failure of the three-way catalyst (TWC) introduces “super emitters”

Vehicle exhaust is one of the major organic sources in urban areas. Old taxis equipped with failed three-way catalysts (TWCs) have been regarded as “super emitters”. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a regular substitution fuel for gasoline in taxis. The relative effect of fuel substitution and TWC failure has not been thoroughly investigated. In this work, vehicle exhausts from gasoline and CNG taxis with optimally functioning and malfunctioning TWCs are sampled by Tenax TA tubes and then analyzed by a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC×GC–MS). A total of 216 organics are quantified, including 80 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 132 intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). Failure of TWC introduces super emitters with 30 – 70 times emission factors (EFs), 60 – 112 times ozone formation potentials (OFPs), and 34 – 92 times secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) more than normal vehicles. Specifically, for the taxi with failed TWC, the total organic EF of CNG is 16 times that of gasoline, indicating that the failure of TWC exceeds the emission reduction achieved by CNG-gasoline substitution. A significant but unbalanced reduction of ozone and SOA is observed after TWC, whereas a notable “enrichment” in IVOCs was observed. Naphthalene is a typical IVOC component strongly associated with CNG-gasoline substitution and TWC failure, which is lacking in current VOC measurement. We especially emphasize that there is an urgent need to scrap vehicles with failed TWCs in order to significantly reduce air pollution.

A multi-layer membrane filter made of potassium catalyst and three-way catalyst for a passive after-treatment system

A multi-layer membrane has been fabricated to integrate a Three-Way Catalyst (TWC) and Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) into one device, called a four-way catalytic converter. The top layer, made of nano-scale potassium catalyst particles, traps Particulate Matter (PM) with almost 100% filtration efficiency at all times and oxidizes PM (mostly soot) with a significantly reduced temperature of 476°C at the oxidation peak. Moreover, the bottom layer catalyst is comprised of sub-micro TWC particles to combine NO reduction and CO oxidation capabilities. The effective temperature range for the simultaneous removal of all pollutants was between 420°C–500°C.

Comparative analysis of time series neural network methods for three-way catalyst modeling

Relative Oxygen Level of the Three-Way Catalyst is an important parameter that affects the conversion efficiency of pollutants. ROL is a time-varying hidden state variable that is difficult to directly observe in practice. Therefore, it is common to use a method of clearing oxygen storage to simplify control in vehicles. However, this method negates the positive effects of ROL on pollutant treatment. ROL can be indirectly observed through modeling methods. Chemical modeling methods involve extensive computational requirements that cannot meet the demands of practical control. In contrast, time-series neural networks offer computational speed advantages when dealing with similar problems. Therefore, the ROL observation models using both NARX and LSTM neural networks are developed and compared in this study. The results indicate that the NARX neural network exhibits higher precision with a smaller number of neurons and time steps. The LSTM neural network demonstrates greater stability when dealing with data error fluctuations. In practical applications, the ROL model can monitor the TWC operating status and assist in the development of intelligent pollutant aftertreatment control strategies.

The Suitability of the Three-way Catalyst for Hydrogen Fuelled Engines

This experimental study investigates the palladium/rhodium based three-way catalyst (TWC) in a hydrogen-gasoline dual-fuel spark ignition (SI) engine under stoichiometric and lean conditions. The work focused on lean-burn engine operating conditions with the aim of reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions during the combustion process, where the TWC is not effective, while improving the thermal efficiency of the engine. Under these lean-burn engine conditions, the combustion promoting properties of hydrogen allowed for maintained engine combustion stability as determined by the cycle-to-cycle variation (COVimep) values even up to ultra lean conditions (λ= 2.0). It was found that by reducing the combustion temperature through the application of lean conditions, engine-out NOx emissions could be reduced or even eliminated, while under these conditions the TWC was effective in reducing engine-out carbon-based gaseous emissions.

The Cerium-Modified MgAl2O4 Spinel and Its Supported PdCu Three-Way Catalyst with Improved Performance

The Cerium-Modified MgAl2O4 Spinel and Its Supported PdCu Three-Way Catalyst with Improved Performance

Microwave-Based State Diagnosis of Three-Way Catalysts: Impact Factors and Application Recommendations.

This study reassesses an overview of the potential of the radio frequency (RF)-based state diagnostics of three-way catalysts (TWC) based on a previous study with an emphasis on the defect chemistry of the catalyst material during reoxidation and reduction. Some data are based on the previous works but are newly processed, and the signal parameters resonant frequency and inverse quality factor are evaluated with respect to applicability. The RF-based method uses electromagnetic resonances in a cavity resonator to provide information on the storage level of the oxygen storage component. The analysis focuses on a holistic investigation and evaluation of the major effects influencing the RF signal during operation. On the one hand, the response to the oxygen storage behavior and the resolution of the measurement method are considered. Therefore, this study merges original data from multiple former publications to provide a comprehensive insight into important measurement effects and their defect chemistry background. On the other hand, the most important cross-sensitivities are discussed and their impact during operation is evaluated. Additionally, the effect of catalyst aging is analyzed. The effects are presented separately for the two resonant parameters: resonant frequency and (unloaded) quality factor. Overall, the data suggest that the quality factor has a way higher signal quality at low temperatures (<400 °C) and the resonant frequency is primarily suitable for high operating temperatures. At most operating points, the quality factor is even more robust against interferences such as exhaust gas stoichiometry and water content. Correctly estimating the catalyst temperature is the most important factor for reliable results, which can be achieved by combining the information of both resonant signals. In the end, the data indicate that microwave-based state diagnosis is a powerful system for evaluating the oxygen storage level over the entire operating range of a TWC. As a research tool and in its application, the system can therefore contribute to the improvement of the emission control of future gasoline vehicles.

Characterizing ammonia emission from light-duty gasoline vehicles under the influence of multiple factors and its correlation with conventional pollutants

Ammonia (NH3), which is a precursor of secondary particulate matter (PM), can be produced through three-way catalyst (TWC) side reactions in light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs), posing a threat to human health and air quality. To explore ammonia emission characteristics, 8 LDGVs and 1 hybrid electric light-duty vehicle (HEV) with various mileages traveled were analyzed with a chassis dynamometer system during regulation driving cycles. The emission factors of the adopted China VI in-use LDGVs were 7.04 ± 2.61 mg/km under cold-start conditions and 4.94 ± 1.69 mg/km under hot-start conditions. With increasing mileage traveled, the total ammonia emissions increased, and the difference between the cold/hot-start results decreased. The emissions of in-use LDGVs with bi-fuel engines were analyzed, and more ammonia was generated in the compressed natural gas (CNG) mode through the hydrocarbon (HC) reforming reaction. The relationship between the emissions of ammonia and conventional pollutants was established. During the initial cold-start phase, a delay in ammonia formation was observed, and the ammonia emissions conformed with the CO and HC emissions after exhaust heating. Vehicle specific power (VSP) analysis revealed that the interval of highest ammonia emissions corresponded to acceleration events at high speeds. For the HEV, the transition from motor to engine drive conditions contributed to ammonia emission occurrence because of the more pronounced cold-start events. The use of HEV technology could introduce additional uncertainties in controlling urban ammonia emissions. Detailed analysis of emission characteristics could provide data support for future research on ammonia emission standards and control strategies for LDGVs.

Emissions from heavy-duty diesel, natural gas, and diesel-hybrid electric vehicles – Part 1. NOx, N2O and NH3 emissions

The current study characterized nitrogen oxide (NOx), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) emissions from 14 heavy-duty vehicles from different vocations (school bus, transit bus, refuse hauler, delivery vehicle, and goods movement vehicle) over different drive cycles using a chassis dynamometer. Test vehicles with engines ranging in model year from 2009 to 2018 and including diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The diesel vehicles included both vehicles without selective catalytic reduction (no-SCR) and with SCR certified to the 0.2 g per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr) [0.27 g/kilowatt-hour (kW-hr)] NOx emissions standard that were operated with diesel fuel, with a subset tested on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The CNG vehicles were all three-way catalyst (TWC) equipped and certified to either the 0.2 or 0.02 g/bhp-hr NOx standard [0.27 or 0.027 g/kW-hr]. This study is part of a larger project that included over 200 in-use heavy-duty vehicles, which is one of the most extensive studies of emissions from modern heavy-duty vehicles to date. NOx, NH3, and N2O emissions varied depending on the vocation and the technology. Average NOx emissions for the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) cycle over all vehicles ranged from 0.003 to 6.16 g/bhp-hr [0.004 to 8.25 g/kW-hr] and from 0.02 to 17.2 g/mile [0.012 to 10.7 g/km], with the diesel vehicles showing the highest emissions, the 0.2 g/bhp-hr certified CNG vehicles showing lower emissions, and the 0.02 g/bhp-hr certified CNG vehicles showing very low emissions. NOx emissions over other different cycles were generally in the same range as those for the hot start UDDS, with the highway cycles generally showing the lowest emissions. CNG vehicles had relatively high NH3 emissions ranging from 0.13 to 0.34 g/bhp-hr [0.17 to 0.46 g/kW-hr] and from 0.44 to 0.97 g/mile [0.27 to 0.6 g/km] over the hot start UDDS compared to the SCR-equipped diesel vehicles due to NH3 formation across the TWC. N2O emissions did not show consistent trends and were near/at the detection limits for a number of the vehicles.

Decelerating catalyst aging of natural gas engines using organic Rankine cycle under road conditions

High exhaust temperature is an intrinsic nature of natural gas engines which underlies power de-rating and thermal aging of after-treatment system; therefore, this study integrates an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system between engine and it's three-way catalyst (TWC) to address these challenges. ORC facilitates power output enhancement through exhaust energy recovery and alleviates thermal aging by reducing exhaust temperature. To estimate the effectiveness of this hypothesized system, a simulation-based investigation is performed. First, simulation models, including engine, TWC, and vehicle dynamic models, are built and validated by experimental data. According to the temperature characteristics of different TWCs, three scenarios, representing old, current, and prospective TWC technology, are formulated to estimate the ORC performance under Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle. Results show that ORC system can substantially alleviate the thermal damage caused by high exhaust temperature and extend TWC lifespan. It is estimated that over 98.5 % of thermal damage can be decreased by proper ORC setting, and the average TWC lifespan extension can be at least 55.4, making a reduced noble metal usage and cost of TWC. Meanwhile, with the decrease of the working temperature of TWC, ORC can recover exhaust energy under more road conditions, further improving the net power and shortening the payback period of extra ORC hardware costs. A reduction in the working temperature of TWC from 770.5 K to 618 K yields a 109 % enhancement in maximum power, coupled with a 62.30 % reduction in the payback period. These findings fully reflect the advantage of ORC-TWC coupling and indicate that ORC is supposed to be used more for the TWC with a low working temperature to maximize economic effectiveness. This study provides a novel pathway for thermal aging alleviation of TWC and a valuable reference for prospective studies on matching ORC with TWC under road conditions.

An experimental study on aging effects of fuel-cut events including sound optimized torque reduction on modern three-way catalysts

Continuously increasing country-specific emission standards for passenger vehicles demand additional development steps in complex exhaust gas aftertreatment systems for a more effective reduction of harmful gases. The efficiency of the aftertreatment system declines over its lifecycle due to specific load profiles and other boundary conditions, resulting in increasing emissions over vehicle mileage. As a result, the durability of the exhaust system becomes more important. Fuel cut is an intended, temporary interruption of the fuel supply of modern combustion engines of passenger cars to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. During this fuel reduction event, unconsumed oxygen of rich and cool fresh air is introduced to the combustion chamber and to the exhaust system. Besides a catalyst cool down, oxidation effects are provoked by enhanced oxygen reactions processes within the catalyst’s washcoat and surface layers. In this publication, specific aging cycles with a variation of fuel-cut programs were examined on their effects on a modified modern eight-cylinder turbo-charged engine, especially on their oxidation effects correlating to catalyst aging. Light-off curves and conversion heat maps were used to evaluate possible damaging impacts of fuel-cut events on the aging behavior of the catalyst systems. Results indicate that higher frequency of fuel-cut events results in a reduced catalyst conversion efficiency, whereas thermal sintering might be reduced due to overall lower temperature load. Temporary oxidation processes on catalyst’s surfaces occur only in a short timespan after changing the air fuel ratio to lean, resulting in a weaker thermal sintering during longer fuel-cut events. Sound optimized torque reduction functions, used in sports cars for a better drivability and powertrain response, exhibit a stronger aging influence due to additional thermal shock effects on the catalysts front face, as demonstrated via optical infrared sensor technology during catalyst aging cycles on the modified engine bench setup. A theoretical calculation of aging processes as a combination of thermal sintering by Arrhenius equation as well as oxidation process is discussed to describe an aging classification induced via oxidation processes. Additional physisorption measurements of different catalyst probes support the results which indicate the direction of future experimental approaches.

Recycling the spent cobalt-based perovskites for the high-active oxygen catalysts in zinc-air batteries

Cobalt (Co) is widely used in energy storage and conversion devices, although its content on our planet is not adequate. Therefore, recycling Co from the spent Co-enriched materials is indispensable. Co-based perovskites, which contain abundant Co, are extensively utilized in solid oxide fuel cells, three-way catalysts, and oxygen-permeable membranes, and the recovery of Co from the spent Co-based perovskites is necessary to meet the long-term requirement of Co. In this work, a facile and universal thermal reduction method (750 °C and N2 atmosphere) is employed to convert the spent cobalt-based perovskites into high-performance bifunctional oxygen catalysts for zinc-air batteries (ZABs), achieving high-efficient Co recovery and re-utilization. At high temperatures, melamine and dopamine hydrochloride are transformed into carbon nanotubes, C3N4 and reducing gases (such as NH3 and H2). Simultaneously, the metal elements in the spent Co-based perovskites (SrNb0.1Co0.7Fe0.2O3,SNCF) are converted into nano-scale alloy particles and metal nitrides. Then, the phase structures, micromorphology, and element valences of the obtained multiphase oxygen catalyst (SNCF–Ni-PM) are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The electrochemical properties, including oxygen catalytic activities and stability, of SNCF-Ni-PM are measured by linear sweep voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, chronoamperometry, and cyclic voltammetry methods. Considering the practical applications, the aqueous and solid-state ZABs are assembled and measured. The results demonstrate that the multiphase SNCF-Ni-PM mainly includes carbon nanotubes, C3N4 nanosheets, and FeNiN or CoFe nanoparticles. Moreover, SNCF-Ni-PM exhibits excellent bifunctional oxygen catalytic activity, with an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) potential at 10 mA cm−2 of 1.51 V and an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) half-wave potential of 0.77 V, outperforming most of the reported oxygen catalysts. Using SNCF-Ni-PM, the aqueous and solid-state ZABs can achieve high power densities of 295.9 and 228.4 mW cm−2, respectively, being superior to most ZABs. In addition, the aqueous ZAB with SNCF-Ni-PM can operate stably for 300 h with a slight degradation. This work provides a feasible method for effectively recycling Co from the spent Co-based perovskites.

Comparative catalytic performance of PGM-nanoparticle-doped alumina Xerogels and aerogels for potential application in automotive pollution mitigation

The structural (low density, high porosity), thermal (low thermal conductivity, high temperature stability), and chemical (high degree of tailorability) properties of aerogels make them attractive in a range of applications, including catalysis. The automotive industry relies on three-way-catalysts (TWCs) for automotive pollution mitigation, and TWCs in turn depend heavily on the use of platinum group metals (PGMs). Reduction of the use of PGMs in TWCs would be advantageous. To investigate the effect of aerogel structure and processing on three-way catalytic performance we prepared alumina wet gels doped with ca. 15 nm rhodium and palladium nanoparticles and dried them (1) supercritically to form aerogels and (2) under ambient conditions to form xerogels. Nanoparticle concentration was adjusted to ensure that both forms of the catalyst (aerogel and xerogel) had the same volumetric concentration of PGM after calcination to 800°C. Powder x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the presence of PGMs. TEM images showed PGM particle agglomeration on the order of 40 to 200 nm in both the aerogel and xerogel materials. Gas adsorption analysis indicated that the aerogels have a surface area of 460 m2/g with most pores in the 2- to 100-nm range, whereas the xerogel surface area was 170 m2/g with a narrow pore distribution around 10 nm. Catalytic performance tests under a range of simulated automotive operating conditions show that, in all cases, the aerogels outperformed the xerogels. The aerogel light-off temperatures (the temperature at which a 50 % conversion is achieved) were 45 to 120 °C lower for the conversion of HCs, 25 to 55 °C lower for the conversion of CO and 40 to 145 °C lower for the conversion of NO. This study provides direct evidence that aerogel processing of catalysts provides catalytic performance benefits separate from the underlying chemistry of the catalysts.

The effect of the oxygen storage material on a three-way catalyst spatio-temporally resolved with Spaci-MS

A methodology that allows the estimation of the stored oxygen (oxygen storage capacity (OSC)) along the TWC catalyst length by spatio-temporally resolving the O2 profiles during rich to lean cycle conditions with the use of the Spaci-MS technique has been developed. As a case study, the effect of the presence of mixed cerium-zirconium oxide as oxygen storage material has been investigated. The oxygen storage capacity for the TWC containing Ce material was much higher than without. The study also explores the reaction pathways typical of TWC along the catalyst coordinates by spatio-temporally resolving O2, H2, CO, and NO, as well as the related products and intermediates providing important understanding on, for example, the water-gas shift reaction leading to H2 production and how they develop differently depending on the OSM (oxygen storage material) in the catalyst. H2 production occurs closer to the front of the TWC length in the case of the catalyst without Ce, and results in an earlier production of undesired NH3 from NO reaction with H2. However, more N2O has been observed for the catalyst with Ce, which suggests the catalyst composition could be optimised to minimize overall secondary emissions.

Insights into the Reactivation Process of Thermal Aged Bimetallic Pt-Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3 Catalysts at Different Treating Temperatures and Their Structure–Activity Evolutions for Three-Way Catalytic Performance

CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3 supported Pt-Pd bimetallic three-way catalysts (0.6Pt-0.4Pd/CZL) were synthesized through the conventional impregnation method and then subjected to severe thermal aging. Reactivating treatments under different temperatures were then applied to the aged catalysts above. Three-way catalytic performance evaluations and dynamic operation window tests along with detailed physio-chemical characterizations were carried out to explore possible structure–activity evolutions during the reactivating process. Results show that the reactivating process conducted at proper temperatures (500~550 °C) could effectively restore the TWC catalytic performance and widen the operation window width. The suitable reactivating temperature ranges are mainly determined by the decomposing temperature of PMOx species, the thermal stability of PM-O-Ce species, and the encapsulation temperature of precious metals by CZL support. Reactivating under appropriate temperature helps to restore the interaction between Pt and CZL support to a certain extent and to re-expose part of the encapsulated precious metals. Therefore, the dynamic oxygen storage/release capacity, redox ability, as well as thermal stability of PtOx species, can be improved, thus benefiting the TWC catalytic performances. However, the excessively high reactivating temperature would cause further embedment of Pd by CZL support, thus leading to a further decrease in both dynamic oxygen storage/release capacity and the TWC catalytic performance after reactivating treatment.