Silver catalyst reduces cost of purifying diesel exhaust

摘要

Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co Ltd, Japan, has developed a new catalyst that uses cheaper silver (Ag), instead of the more expensive platinum (Pt), as the purification catalyst for diesel engine exhaust gas.rnThe company says it succeeded in reducing the noble metal cost by more than 90% without sacrificing the performance to purify particulate matters (PM).rnPt is widely used in catalysts for diesel exhaust gas, but it is currently expensive. While the reduction in cost of noble metals remains as a major challenge, it has been believed that the adoption of materials other than Pt is difficult because their purification performance and durability is insufficient for the process.