One of the most promising ways to insure the periodic regeneration of
a particulate trap, consists to additise the fuel with organometallic
compounds. The present paper deals with a novel alkali product, able t
o promote natural regenerations, for exhaust temperatures as low as 20
0 degrees C, and treatment rates as low as 5 ppm. Tests have been carr
ied out on a soot reactor and on an engine bench with Various trap loc
ations in the exhaust showing that the regeneration occurrence depends
on temperature, soot mass loaded inside the porous structure, engine
conditions. A complete trap cleaning still needs gas temperatures up t
o 400 degrees C, which can be encountered for high load conditions of
the engine.