Analysis of the FTP Performance of Metal Foil and Ceramic Substrate Catalytic Converters Using Statistical Methods

A designed experiment was conducted to determine the effects of varying noble metal concentration, converter volume, substrate material, aging schedule, and performance engine on FTP efficiency. Sixteen catalytic converters of common containment and washcoat technology were aged and evaluated on 3.8 L and 5.7 L engine dynamometers using the cold start FTP as the performance test. Gaseous conversion efficiencies for Cycle 2 (light-off), Phase 2 (steady state), and End of Test Summary are compared for the five main factors and their interactions.