Production and Characterization of Open Cell Cordierite from Boron and Waste Materials by Geopolymer Method for the Emission After Treatment System of Diesel Engines

Abstract

Porous geopolymer materials can be used in various fields such as thermal insulation, filtration, catalyst, and building materials. In this study, open porous geopolymer-based cordierite materials are produced due to the porous structure, temperature resistance, and easy and low-cost applications of geopolymer structures, which are oxide ceramic materials that can act as natural catalysts for emission treatment of diesel engines. For the composition of cordierite, waste boron clay, metakaolin, fly ash, and magnesium carbonate are used, while keeping the geopolymerization temperature constant, sodium silicate, sodium hydroxide, polypropylene, and glass fiber, hydrogen peroxide are used to create an alkaline environment. These materials are tested in a 4-stroke 4-cylinder diesel engine's exhaust system at 50, 75, and 100 Nm engine torques and 1500, 1700, and 1900 rpm engine speeds. The use of open-cell geopolymer materials reduces CO emissions by 66%, NOx emissions by 25% and HC emissions by 68%. The open-cell geopolymer materials are found to be effective in treating over 95% of particulate matter. The chemical and microstructures of the obtained open-cell geopolymer structures are investigated. It is concluded that the developed products are useful tools for the emission treatments of diesel engines considering the oxidizing and filtering effects of the materials.