The current concerns involving the significant health effects of vehicle emissions and the recent scandal around manipulated diesel engine emissions in passenger cars shows that there is a clear need for disruptive and timely solutions. A group of nitrogen oxides (nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)), also known as NOx, played a paramount role in the diesel scandal, with NOx limits set by North American and EU legislation being exceeded multiple times in real environment test-drives. NOx contributes significantly to air pollution, leading to the formation of smog, acid rain and depletion of the ozone layer. It also reacts to form nitrate particles, acid aerosols, as well as NO2, which causes chronic respiratory problems. Researchers argue that in the EU, Norway and Switzerland alone 4500 people die annually due to excess NOx emitted by cars. A recent study published in Nature argues that the eleven biggest diesel engine vehicle markets (light duty and heavy duty) were responsible for around 38000 particulate matter and ozone-layer related deaths globally in 2015. But NOx emissions are not only a challenge for the automotive industry as The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is considering tightening legislation on vessel emissions – a majority of which are powered by diesel engines. In addition, the so-called peaking power plants – perceived as the key transition technology for the rollout of renewable energies in Europe – run on large diesel engines. Finally, many off-road heavy-duty vehicles run on diesel engines. All of these vehicles, vessels and power plants cannot be phased out overnight. Some European politicians voice ambitious plans to phase-out diesel by the 2040’s, but this still means diesel will accompany our lives in the next 23+ years.
The key challenge is to find efficient, timely and cost-effective solutions to reduce the exposure of pollutant gases to people and to find solutions to meet the ever-tightening regulatory requirements around diesel engines, as a transition technology towards a fossil-fuel-free economy, in Europe and diesel-reliant economies in Asia and Africa.
NOXTEK is a ground-breaking absorbent material with the potential for immediate deployment within vehicle cabin filtration system to have an immediate effect of protecting vehicle occupants from harmful gasses. Furthermore, there is significant potential for utilization within Exhaust Emissions Treatment Systems.
