The need to meet Euro 6 regulations, which focus on the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, is poised to spur growth of the European market for gasoline exhaust after-treatment technologies.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will likely adopt particulate matter (PM) filters for gasoline engines by 2014, with a 15 per cent penetration by 2016. With the increasing penetration of direct injection in gasoline engines, there will be a greater need for PM filters.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Executive Analysis of the European Market for Gasoline Engine Exhaust After-treatment Technologies, finds that the future trend is clearly the tri-metal catalyst, a calculated ratio of precious metal group (PMG) metals to be used with rhodium, which is most suitable for expelling NOx.
"The requirement to reduce NOx emissions in gasoline engine exhaust drives the European market for gasoline exhaust after-treatment technologies," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Hariher Balasubramanian. "Emission regulation norms such as Association des Constructeurs Europeens d'Automobiles (ACEA) carbon dioxide (CO2) norms have created a need for emission reduction technologies such as gasoline direct injection (GDI) resulting in PM and NOx issues that, in turn, enhance growth in this market."
NOx concerns arising from lean combustion GDI, downsizing, and turbo charging will drive demand for exhaust gas recirculations (EGRs) and PM count in GDI engines, catalysing the growth of PM filters. Greater sales volume of small-segment vehicles will boost demand for tri-metal catalysts.
However, gasoline engines have a higher exhaust temperature than diesel engines. Therefore, materials used in gasoline engine exhaust after-treatment systems should be more temperature resistant, resulting in higher costs. There will be an increasing need for high temperature-resistant materials with downsizing and turbo charging of gasoline engines.
"The costs pertaining to the development and manufacture of exhaust systems are high," adds Industry Manager Kaushik Madhavan. "An end consumer will pay more for a hybrid vehicle, but not more for a regular gasoline vehicle fitted with an extra PM filter."
Market participants should develop and fit nano metal catalyst in catalytic converters to reduce cost. Nano technology-based applications can bring down the price of exhaust system by about 70 per cent. This will help manufacturers optimise the extra cost associated with PM filters.
"With the anticipated introduction of PM filters, suppliers should tap the potential by developing efficient filters and establishing strategic original equipment manufacturer (OEM) relationships," concludes Madhavan.
Source: http://www.frost.com/