More efficient catalytic converter

[California98Civic]

A couple years ago, a team in England invented a more efficient catalytic converter design. Saves fuel and reduces emissions, they claim. They also claim it uses up to 80% less metals and therefore could cut the cost of producing CATs by well over half. Here is the story:
https://phys.org/news/2014-01-cataly...ption-car.html

[oil pan 4]

Do we know if this design ever was adopted?
Sounds like an all around win for everyone.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Do we know if this design ever was adopted?
Sounds like an all around win for everyone.

I did a quick search but did not see anything brought to market. Searching for that, however, also yielded information on the "EmiCat" from a company called "EmiTec." It seems to be an electric-heated "pre-cat" to increase overall CAT efficiency (sort of) by reducing cold start emissions until the conventional catalyst has time to heat up. That technology has apparently been available a long time. Alpina put the thing into a 1999 12 cyl BMW seven series, apparently. And I found academic papers going back about 20 years. Seems like a cool emissions device. Maybe cost is what keeps it from becoming more common equipment.

Continental Emitec GmbH

Here is the emicat in line in the exhaust:


Pretty clever.