Pollutants from vehicles harm the environment and human health in several ways. For example, airborne particles of soot and metal can cause skin and eye irritation as well as respiratory problems. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (such as nitrogen dioxide, which causes haze) mix with rainwater to create acid rain, which damages crops, vegetation, and even buildings. Carbon monoxide is also a major component of vehicle exhaust fumes.

When it comes to vehicle emissions, the automotive industry faces a two-pronged challenge—meeting air quality standards while overcoming difficulties with catalyzing emissions at the lower operating temperatures of today’s more efficient vehicles.

An institute that catalyzes research

PNNL supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office mission through a variety of catalysis efforts, including stewardship of the Institute for Integrated Catalysis. This institute brings together more than 100 in-house scientists from industry, other national laboratories, and academia to study a wide range of catalysis disciplines, including exhaust catalysis.

PNNL researchers are exploring catalyst coatings used on exhaust aftertreatment devices such as diesel particle filters. With its academic partners, PNNL is also making great strides in developing catalysts that are more rugged, can reduce tailpipe pollution at lower temperatures, and may even be cheaper than existing methods. PNNL scientists have created catalysts that use smaller amounts of platinum group metals (such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium), which are often expensive components of catalytic converters, to clean exhaust from modern engines.

Taking action against pollutants, one catalyst at a time, thanks to PNNL’s expertise and partnerships with national laboratory, academic, and industrial collaborators.