Thermally-induced microstructural changes in a three-way automotive catalyst

Karren L. More, Edward A. Kenik, Dorothy W. Coffey, Thomas S. Geer, William J. Labarge, Richard Beckmeyer, Joseph Theis

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The use of advanced electron microscopy techniques to characterize both the bulk and near-atomic level microstructural evolution of catalyst materials during different dynamometer/vehicle aging cycles is an integral part of understanding catalyst deactivation. The study described here was undertaken to evaluate thermally-induced microstructural changes which caused the progressive loss of catalyst performance in a three-way automotive catalyst. Several different catalyst processing variables, for example changing the washcoat ceria content, were also evaluated as a function of aging cycle and thermal history. A number of thermally-induced microstructural changes were identified using high resolution electron microscopy techniques that contributed to the deactivation of the catalyst, including sintering of all washcoat constituents, γ-alumina transforming to α-, β-, and δ-alumina, precious metal redistribution, and constituent encapsulation. The data accumulated in this study have been used to correlate microstructural evolution with thermal history and catalyst performance during various aging cycles and to subsequently evaluate different washcoat formulations for increased thermal stability.

Original languageEnglish
JournalSAE Technical Papers
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997
EventInternational Fall Fuels and Lubricants Meeting and Exposition - Tulsa, OK, United States
Duration: Oct 13 1997Oct 16 1997

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