Search Results

The next generation of cabin air filters will include the ability to remove not only particulate matter, but odors as well. A key element in the development of odor removal filters is the design of laboratory tests to predict in-service performance. The studies described in this report used a combination of subjective and objective test methods to evaluate a series of odor-removal filters for their ability to remove environmentally significant reduced sulfur compounds. The work was performed in two parts. In the first part the detection, recognition, and annoyance thresholds for hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were measured using a 37-member odor panel. The second part consisted of a group of tests in which the contaminant concentrations upstream and downstream of six types of filters were measured using an instrumental method.

A study was carried out to increase our understanding of the emissions of air toxics from normal and high-emitting vehicles. This study is part of a larger study on fuel effects in high-emitting vehicles, and is part of the Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program (AQIRP). Detailed measurements were carried out on the emissions of two vehicles run on industry-average gasoline. The two vehicles, having similar emissions control technologies, represent a high-emitting vehicle and a normal-emitting vehicle. In addition to the regulated emissions (HC, CO, and NOx), a detailed chemical analysis was carried out on the gas - and particle-phase non-regulated emissions. The vehicles were tested over the U.S. EPA UDDS driving schedule. The high emitter was highly variable with regard to emissions, but always operated rich of the stoichiometric point. Up to 46% of fuel carbon was emitted as CO and unburned HC for the high emitter, compared to less than 1.4% for the normal emitter.

Properties of thermoplastic bumpers made of polycarbonate (PC) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) blend were evaluated after several years of service in the field. In this study we measured the Izod impact strength, PC molecular weight, and melt flow rate of bumpers collected from various geographical areas in the U.S. Generally, the system had good impact resistance after more than five years of service in the field, retaining most of the original impact strength. There were small changes in PC average molecular-weights and melt flow rates. The results showed that changes depended on both exposure time and the weather conditions of the environment.

Combustion and gasification characteristics of deposits from diesel exhaust were investigated. Properties which may influence soot reactivity, such as morphology, specific surface area, organic adsorbate, and occlusions of inorganic origin were characterized. Effects of temperature, oxygen pressure, and stepwise combustion on the reactivity were determined. Ignition and combustion kinetics of various soot deposits were measured gravimetrically, and requirements for fast soot oxidation in the presence of an exhaust gas were assessed. Reliable completion of soot combustion after ignition depends strongly on oxygen pressure and bulk density of the soot. The ignition temperature can be lowered by suitable catalysts. Organic molecules, adsorbed on the soot surface, may also have a significant influence on the ignition of soot deposits. The results confirm that soot particles suspended in exhaust gas are not oxidized significantly under the conditions prevailing in diesel exhaust.