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An exhaust gas purifying catalyst must be durable, i.e., it must maintain a sufficient catalytic performance even after thermal degradation. Therefore, large amounts of platinum group metals (PGMs), such as Pt, Pd, and Rh, should be loaded onto the catalyst substrate. Exhaust gas heat deteriorates the catalyst by sintering the PGM particles, which decreases the active surface area. It is important to reduce the PGM load and many researchers have therefore attempted to carry out PGM load reduction while maintaining sufficient durability. We found that Pt ions could form Pt-hydroxide clusters in a hexahydroxyplatinate (IV) (Pt(OH)6·H2O) nitric acid solution. The Pt-hydroxide cluster size could be controlled by varying the Pt and nitric acid concentrations and solution temperature.

A resin coating was applied to a piston skirt for use in an internal combustion engine to reduce the frictional resistance on its surface. The purpose of the authors' study was to observe the change in surface states with the addition of nylon and graphite to the coating as solid lubricant particles in order to investigate the tribological properties of the surface. The authors observed self-formed microdimples on the resin surface when nylon particles were added to the polyamide-imide (PAI) coating material. These microdimples functioned as oil reservoirs similar in size to the nylon particles. The authors used PAI as a binder, and graphite particles (5 μm) and two different grades (5 and 10 μm) of nylon-12 particles as additives. These materials were mixed in a solvent, and an aluminum test sample was coated. The test sample was then heated in an oven to cure the PAI. Next, the texture of the surface was observed.