Catalysis of the Low Temperature Oxidation of Nitric Oxide by Diesel Particles

The ability of diesel particles to catalyze the low temperature thermal oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide has been determined. Rate constants for the reaction in bag samples of diesel engine exhaust gases were calculated for different conditions of temperature, dilution and engine load.

The reaction rate, which has a negative temperature dependence, was found to be uniformly higher in samples with diesel particles than in corresponding particle-free samples.