National Science Foundation awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
Phase 1 grant in the amount of $149,000 to GoNano
Technologies, Inc., an Idaho based materials company specializing in the
development of high surface area Nanospring™ materials. The objective
is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a novel four-way catalytic converter
for diesel emissions. While there is ongoing research to combine multiple functions
into a single catalytic converter, GoNano is applying its proprietary Nanospring
technology to improve on current concepts.
“Pending changes in the regulatory environment have given way to opportunity
in diesel emission catalytic converters and particulate mitigation.” said
Tim Kinkeade, CEO of GoNano Technologies. “GoNano’s ability to coat
a wide variety of substrates, coupled with the capacity to coat silica Nanosprings
with a full spectrum of active catalysts, provides an ideal technology fit for
integration into the catalytic converter market.”
In 2013, stricter EPA requirements for diesel emissions standards will come
into effect, per Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 63: National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Reciprocating Internal Combustion
Engines . These new regulations will affect carbon emissions both in terms of
allowable particle size and number of particles. While there are proposals to
meet impending particulate matter regulations, none actively integrates all
the required functions into a single catalytic converter. The broader commercial
impacts of these new regulations represent significant market opportunity in
the United States and in Europe.
“Engineering the morphology of the inner surface of the Catalytic Converters
is a novel approach and has the potential to increase reactivity through higher
exposed surface area, decrease light-off temperature through smaller particle
size, and decrease cost through reduced amounts of PGM,” added Dr. Giancarlo
Corti, Vice President of Research and Development.