Petrol cars release more CO2 than diesel cars; that fact is fairly well known, and can actually play a large part in the reason why some people decide to buy diesel vehicles over petrol ones. However, CO2 is not the only harmful gas that is emitted from diesel car exhausts, others include nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, and there is growing concerns about their effects on the atmosphere.
Nanostellar, a start-up company co-founded by a professor at the University of Texas, believes that it has invented a method of reducing the pollutant levels that are emitted from diesel engines by as much as 45%.
Currently platinum, the very precious metal, is used in catalytic convertors on diesel cars, in order to reduce the levels of harmful emissions. Researchers at Nanostellar say they have found a successful, man-made replacement for platinum which not only is much cheaper and easier to produce, but can also reduce the polluting emissions by as much as 45% more than platinum.
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Kyeongjae Cho, a professor in materials science, engineering and physics at the University of Texas, confirmed that, “mullite is not only easier to produce than platinum, but also better at reducing pollution in diesel engines.”
Nanostellar hope that their technology can be used in cars, lorries, planes, ships, and diesel-powered, heavy machinery. They also plan to explore the potential of mullite as a replacement of platinum catalysts used in fuel cells.
By. Joao Peixe of Oilprice.com
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