NOx Abatement by Catalytic Traps: On the Mechanism of NOx Trapping Under Automotive Conditions

NO_x adsorption was measured with a barium based NO_x storage catalyst at an engine bench equipped with a lean burn gasoline direct injection engine (GDI). In order to study the influence of gas phase NO₂ on the NO_x storage efficiency two different pre-catalysts were used: One with excellent NO oxidation activity to produce a high NO₂ concentration and another pre-catalyst without NO oxidation activity and therefore high NO concentration at the NO_x storage catalyst inlet. Both pre-catalyst had excellent HC and CO conversion efficiency and therefore the CO and HC concentration at the NO_x storage catalyst inlet was practically zero. No lean NO_x reduction was observed. Under that conditions, experiments with NO_x storage catalysts of different length show that a high NO₂ inlet concentration did not enhance the NO_x storage efficiency. Moreover, we observed reduction of NO₂ to NO over the NO_x storage catalyst. However, in presence of a high NO inlet concentration NO₂ formation was observed which may proceed parallel to NO_x storage.