| TECHNOLOGY |
POLLUTION CONTROL
Catalysts Drive For Cleaner Air
It sounds too good to be true: By driving your car, you can help reduce smog. But Co.`s technology allows you to do just that. The principle behind is simple. A base metal catalyst that converts ground-level ozone--a smog component--into oxygen is coated onto a radiator in a process that resembles those at standard automotive paint shops. Co keeps the identity of the catalyst a secret, but patent literature suggests that manganese oxides MnO2 and Mn2O3 are involved. Depending on factors like the speed of the car, the catalyst can convert 60 to 80% of the ozone flowing through the radiator into oxygen.
"This is the first commercial technology that cleans the air after it's been polluted. "Previously, you achieved improved air quality by reducing emissions before they left the source, like in a catalytic converter, or by adjusting the process so you don't make pollutants in the first place." An automotive radiator is a perfect place to put the catalysts.Because they are designed to dissipate heat, radiators have a lot of surface area that comes in contact with the air. "It just so happens that surfaces that make for good heat transfer also make for good catalytic activity. In addition, the heat from a radiator doesn't hurt. Unlike the precious metal catalysts in catalytic converters, technology doesn't require high temperatures to work. Higher temperatures do increase its catalytic activity, though, and also lower relative humidity--reducing condensate that can hamper catalytic performance. "We've talked with most of the large car companies in the world about this, and most of them are at least exploring the possibility. Technology alone won't solve the ozone problem. because it can gobble up the ozone in only a small fraction of the atmosphere. But he says technology can have a measurable effect. He cites studies showing that if every car in Los Angeles had technology installed on it, ozone levels would fall by about 1 ppb. EPA's one-hour ozone standard, which many U.S. cities are being required to meet, is 120 ppb
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