Molten salts are promising catalysts. How to apply in practice?

A diesel soot filter with a Cs2SO4.V2O5 molten salt diesel soot oxidation c atalyst has been developed. An engine test-bench was used to test it in die sel exhaust gas with ELPI analysis and to deposit diesel soot on filters fo r temperature programmed oxidation experiments. Molten salt (Cs2SO4.V2O5) b ased catalytic foam has an onset temperature for catalytic oxidation of 320 degreesC. This is a promising temperature for continuous filter-regenerati on applications. Unfortunately the liquid state of the catalyst makes it un fit for the very effective wall-flow monolith filter, and necessitates the use of a foam filter as support. The onset temperature of the catalytic foa m of 320 degreesC is still too high to justify a change from wall-flow mono lith to foam, as ceramic foam is a less effective filter than the wall-flow monolith. Foams are no "absolute" filters, and should be optimized for eac h application.