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Use of a platinum porous fiber glass supported catalyst in an automobile exhaust gas system. [Thesis]

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:7345809

The usefulness of a platinum impregnated porous fiber glass catalyst in a synthetic automobile exhaust gas system was investigated. Experimental data for conversions of carbon monoxide, ethylene, and propane were obtained at various preheat temperatures and space velocities. The preheat temperature was varied from approximately 180 to 560/sup 0/C, and the gas hourly space velocity was varied from 20,000 to 70,000 hour/sup -1/. The feed gas contained the major components of an actual engine exhaust. Preliminary results using platinized fiber glass catalysts showed that the catalyst bed had to be evenly and tightly packed in order to give a uniform flow distribution. Using three different pore size distributions of fiber glass catalyst, it was determined that the fiber glass catalyst with the largest average pore size (32 A compared to 12 and 11 A) and the most uniform distribution of pores (a similar volume percent throughout a pore radius range of 7 to 200 A) gave the highest conversions of all reactants at all operating conditions investigated. The results obtained with a platinized fiber glass catalyst were compared with those obtained with two conventional catalysts, platinized alumina beads and platinized silica gel beads under similar conditions. It was shown that under steady state conditions the fiber glass catalyst gave higher conversions of reactants than the conventional beads at low preheat temperatures. Under transient conditions, the fiber glass catalyst reached bed temperatures to initiate the reaction of carbon monoxide, ethylene, and propane with oxygen at a much faster rate than the ones obtained by the bead catalysts.

OSTI ID:
7345809
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English