Control of Soot Emission by Filtration and Post-Combustion. A Laboratory Study of the Regeneration of an Organic Particulate Trap Assisted by Hydrocarbon Injection

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Abstract
Post-combustion of carbon black and diesel soot collected on particulate traps has been studied at a laboratory scale. The role of parameters such as entering gas temperature, catalytic formulations, additives has been investigated. Carbon black and diesel soot ignite around, respectively, 580°C and 500°C in the reactor conditions. The combustion of small amounts of hydrocarbons injected inside the catalyzed traps provides enough energy to start carbon black or soot combustion at entering gas temperature as low as 150°C. Consequently, with this technique, the regeneration of particulate traps is possible even at car idle exhaust conditions. The system developed necessitates the use of desulfurated diesel fuel as sulfur compounds inhibit the activity of the catalysts. Also, internal temperature of the trap must be controlled and should never exceed 900°C. This is easily done by interrupting hydrocarbon injection around 600°C. Metallic additives (Ce, Fe, Cu, Ba) incorporated into the injected hydrocarbons do not affect the ignition temperature, but increase, in general, the soot combustion rate.