DEVELOPMENT OF DEPLETED-URANIUM CATALYSTS FOR DESTRUCTION OF AIR POLLUTANTS IN AUTOMOBILE EXHAUST

摘要

Preliminary feasibility tests have shown that supported catalysts containing depleted uranium when used in a catalytic afterburner may be effective for substantially reducing the amount of certain air-polluting components in motor vehicle exhaust, yet appear to present no radiological hazard to the vehicle occupants or the general public.nA limited number of uranium-based catalysts supported on activated alumina have been studied by bench-scale laboratory methods to determine their efficacy for effecting catalytic oxidation of selected combustible air pollutants in automobile exhaust and in the exhaust stream of a single-cylinder test engine operated continuously for 2 weeks. At the same time, a simple, alumina-supported uraniumoxide catalyst was tested in afterburner units in a mobile laboratory under modified road-use conditions, in conjunction with a dynamometerconnected engine mounted on a test stand, and in a passenger car under typical road-use conditions. Additionally, a copper-chromium promoted, supported uranium-oxide catalyst was tested in afterburner units in engine-dynamometer runs and in 10,000 miles of passenger car operation under typical road-use conditions.