Since the EPA started to regulate the emission coming from the exhaust systems of cars, majority of the car companies have incorporated the use of catalytic converters into its car’s engines. This equipment has helped in greatly reducing the toxic materials in the engine before releasing it out of the system. However, production of the catalytic converters requires the use of metals like platinum, rhodium and palladium, making it quite pricey to produce. But thanks to a discovery by Mazda, cost production of this car part could decrease in the near future.

Through the use of nanotechnology, Mazda has been able to develop catalytic converters by using fewer metals. Instead of using your regular metals like platinum, rhodium and palladium, Mazda made use of nanoparticles to cover the surface area of its catalytic converter. This shift in materials will greatly reduce the use of metals and help in cutting production costs of this automotive part. Aside from reducing cost, the use of nanoparticles could benefit people’s health. According to a study done in the US, the metallic properties of the catalytic converters contribute to the increase of allergies and asthma in the country.

Initially, Mazda was skeptical about using nanoparticles since the heat generated by the exhaust could cause these particles to collect and bundle together in masses on the ceramic bead surface. Once this happens, the surface area of the catalytic converter is reduced and can affect its performance. But Mazda claims to have been able to work through this problem by embedding the nanoparticles in a fixed position on the ceramic surface. How they were able to make it work though is something Mazda is tight-lipped about.

Incidentally, Mazda’s findings coincided with Nissan’s announcement where they claimed to have developed the same type of technology for their catalytic converters. One has to wonder whether Mazda announced its technological advancement just to keep up with their competitors. Nonetheless, if this type of production materializes, it would mean less consumption of metals and healthier living for us.

Sources: Nano Science Works, Physics Today

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 1:54 am and is filed under Technology, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.