Optimisation of Precious Metal Loadings in Automotive Catalysts Using Response Surface Methodology

The effect of changing catalyst precious metal ratios and loadings on close coupled catalytic converter efficiencies has been studied. The three precious metals were platinum, palladium and rhodium. The specific matrix used for the development of response surface models is a central composite design and provides the capability of visually optimising the precious metal loadings. Catalysts were evaluated using perturbed scans. lightoff curves from the dynamometer aged, and vehicle emission tests. These scans show percent conversion efficiencies of the three legislated gases; HC, CO and NOx, over a range of Air Fuel Ratios (λ). Whilst lean and rich lightoff curves provide indications of conversion efficiencies at varying temperatures. Prior to testing the catalysts were aged, using an accelerated dynamometer ageing process, to 80K simulated kilometres. The catalysts were then fitted to a vehicle and chassis roll emission tests conducted.

The purpose of the paper is to correlate the light off and perturb scan tests with vehicle emission tests. The possibility of testing remotely from a vehicle and achieving optimal solutions is commercially very attractive. Response surface methodology (RSM) provides a basis for the statistical design of experiment (DoE) evaluation models which were used to determine optimum precious metal loadings.