Low-Cost Manufacturing of High Performance deNOx Catalysts

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop high performance, highly durable, and highly selective catalysts for removal of nitrogen oxide (NOx) contaminants from lean-diesel emissions (a process commonly known as “deNOx”). The proposed work will investigate the synthesis of a new form of deNOx catalyst originally developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The proposed work will develop a method to prepare more uniform catalytic materials by a proven scalable technology for the reduction of NOx utilizing hydrocarbons as the source of reductant. If successful, the program could minimize the use of an expensive rare earth metal oxide in the catalysts for a deNOx strategy that already minimizes emissions, storage, transportation, and corrosion concerns associated with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) using ammonia or urea. This program will apply a recently developed low-cost atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique to apply ultra-thin coatings onto zeolite particles to prepare drop-in ready materials suitable for use as deNOx catalysts without sacrificing cost or selectivity. Forge Nano (previously PneumatiCoat Technologies) has already demonstrated a high-throughput, low-cost method of applying ALD coatings to particles, allowing this precision coating technique to be implemented at very low $/kg for catalysts, fuel cells and Li-ion batteries. This proposal will address the following barriers to support the commercial adoption of this deNOx catalyst: Performance: We will demonstrate the viability and scaling of ALD oxide overcoats applied to doped zeolites for the catalytic reduction of NOx. These materials will produce better selectivity and lifetimes than unmodified catalysts and equivalent or better efficiencies, lifetimes and contamination resistance when compared to solution routes; and Cost: An independent assessment of the total value proposition for ALD coated deNOx catalyst upgrading will be performed using the demonstrated performance and manufacturing costs at scale to delineate cost saving opportunities with this ALD methodology.