Effect of low-sulfur fuels upon NH3 and N2O emission during operation of commercial three-way catalytic converters

摘要

The use of low-sulfur fuel is known to improve the performance of the three-way catalytic converter (TWC). However, in this work we report how low-sulfur operation of commercial TWC also favors formation of N2O and NH3 as by products. We found that low-sulfur rich operation above 300 °C increases the production of NH3, inhibiting the formation of N2O characteristic of high-sulfur operation. During lean operation, the production of N2O near the stoichiometric point is not significantly affected by the sulfur level. The large production of N2O observed during light-off is not affected by SO2 when the operation is lean, but under rich conditions N2O is produced up to 575 °C. The increased production of NH3 and N2O in TWC as a result of the introduction of low-sulfur gasoline is an area that requires further analysis because of its implication upon public health in large urban settings.