EMPA: Ceramic foams to be used as catalytic converter substrates

Licensing opportunity

Researchers at EMPA, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, are looking to license ceramic foam-based converter substrates that can improve motor vehicle exhaust gas after-treatment.

Unlike conventional catalytic converter substrates, ceramic foams homogenise the flow of gases by increasing turbulence and mixing reactants more efficiently than laminar flow honeycomb type catalytic substrates.

The concept relies on evidence that ceramic foams can redistribute exhaust gas flow without increasing resistance to prohibitive levels, and that they can also complete the oxidation of unburned carbon monoxide at the same time as generating reactants that result from the oxidization of particulates, for the after-treatment step.

The inventors say that ceramic foams are not only cost effective in terms of manufacture and materials, but  can increase the efficiency of the catalytic converters themselves.