Catalytic combustion of soot over ceria-zinc mixed oxides catalysts supported onto cordierite

Modified substrates as outer heterogeneous catalysts was employed to reduce the soot generated from incomplete combustion of diesel or diesel/biodiesel blends, a process that harms the environment and public health. The unique storage properties of ceria (CeO₂) makes it one of the most efficient catalysts available to date. Here, we proposed that ceria-based catalysts can lower the temperature at which soot combustion occurs; more specifically, from 610°C to values included in the diesel exhausts operation range (300–450°C). The sol-gel method was used to synthesize mixed oxide-based catalysts (CeO₂:ZnO); the resulting catalysts were deposited onto cordierite substrates. In addition, the morphological and structural properties of the material were evaluated by XRD, BET, TPR-H₂, and SEM. Thermogravimetric (TG/DTA) analysis revealed that the presence of the catalyst decreased the soot combustion temperature by 200°C on average, indicating that the oxygen species arise at low temperatures in this situation, promoting highly reactive oxidation reactions. Comparative analysis of soot emission by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) showed that catalyst-impregnated cordierite samples efficiently oxidized soot in a diesel/biodiesel stationary motor: soot emission decreased by more than 70%.