Photocatalytic destruction of automobile exhaust emissions

This work is aimed at assessing the potential of a photocatalytic process for the reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen in automobile exhaust emissions. The authors have attempted to identify some of the factors that control the gas-phase photocatalytic destruction of hydrocarbon pollutants with specific reference to a prototypical automobile exhaust constituent, propylene. In particular, a determination of the propylene conversion rate as a function of gas flow, the stability of rate over time, and the effect of impurity water-vapor concentration are reported.