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CATALYSTS FOR METHANE VEHICLES

Award Information
Agency: National Science Foundation
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 21791
Amount: $50,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1993
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
12345 W 52nd Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David T Wickham
 (303) 422-7819
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

THE USE OF NATURAL GAS VEHICLES (NGVS) IS EXPECTED TO GROW RAPIDLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WITH A POTENTIAL MARKET OF 1.7 MILLION UNITS PER YEAR. ALTHOUGH NGVS EMIT LESS CO AND NON-METHANE HYDROCARBONS THAN GASOLINE-FUELED VEHICLES, THEIR TOTAL HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS ARE QUITE HIGH. THESE EMISSIONS CONSIST PRIMARILY OF METHANE, WHICH IS NOT CURRENTLY REGULATED, BUT IS EXPECTED TO BE REGULATED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. BECAUSE MEHTNAE IS VERY UNREACTIVE, CONVENTIONAL PLATIMUN-BASED CATALYTIC CONVERTERS MUST BE OPERATED AT TEMPERATURES WELL IN EXCESS OF 500 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. THESE HIGH TEMPERATURES LEAD TO SINTERING OF THE CATALYST, LOSS OF SURFACE AREA, AND RAPID DEACTIVATION. THERE ARE NO CATALYSTS AVAILABLE WITH THE NECESSARY ACTIVITY AND STABILITY FOR LONG-TERM USE ON NGVS. A NEW CLASS OF CATALYSTS WITH THE ABILITY TO OXIDIZE METHANE AT LOWER TEMPERATURES THAN ARE CURRENTLY POSSIBLE IS BEING SYNTHESIZED AND TESTED. THIS WILL ALLOW OPERATION AT TEMPERATURES WHERE SINTERING IS NOT A PROBLEM, ALLOWING CATALYST LIFE TO BE IMPROVED. THE EFFECT ON THE EMISSIONS OF METHANE-FUELED VEHICLES IS BEING EVALUATED.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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