Ceramic Particulate Traps for Diesel Emissions Control - Effects of a Manganese-Copper Fuel Additive

The effect of the use of a manganese-copper fuel additive with a Corning EX-47 particulate trap on heavy-duty diesel emissions has been investigated; reductions in total particulate matter (70%), sulfates (65%), and the soluble organic fraction (SOF) (62%) were measured in the diluted (15:1) exhaust and solids were reduced by 94% as measured in the raw exhaust. The use of the additive plus the trap had the same effect on gaseous emissions (hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen) as did the trap alone. The use of the additive without the trap had no effect on measured gaseous emissions, although sulfate increased by 20%.

Approximately 50% of the metals added to the fuel were calculated to be retained in the engine system. The metals emitted by the engine were collected very efficiently (>97%) by the trap even during regeneration, which occured 180°C lower when the additive was used.

When the additive plus trap were used, the Ames assay mutagenicity of the SOF was reduced 28% on a brake-specific basis (revertants per kw-hr) compared to baseline (no trap, no additive); brake-specific mutagenicity increased slightly during regeneration compared to baseline.