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• 14/04/08 : Rhodia Silcea launches innovative materials for NOx emissions control on Diesel vehicles

Detroit – April 14, 2008 – Rhodia is launching two sets of materials for the formulation of deNOx catalysts showing high performance and hydrothermal durability, for NOx trap technologies.

“These properties will enhance catalyst performance and durability while simultaneously reducing the amount of precious metals, the active ingredient used in the catalyst,” according to Olivier Touret, director of Rhodia’s catalysis business. Due to their very high thermal stability, Rhodia’s materials meet the durability requirements of future DeNOx technologies, particularly those used in combination with a diesel particulate filter.

Rhodia technologies for sustainable mobility were presented at this week’s World Congress of the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit. These technologies contribute to lower automotive emissions, lighter vehicle weight and improved fuel economy.

To address NOx emissions from diesel-powered vehicles both NOx Storage Catalyst (NSC) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technologies until now have shown limited efficiency at low temperature (< 250°C) and poor durability due to the thermal deterioration at temperatures higher than 750°C with steam.

Rhodia’s new materials solve these limitations:

Materials for NOx Storage Catalyst technologies (NSC): NSC are sensitive to sulfur poisoning and have to be periodically desulfated at 800°C. This desulfation step at high temperature damages the NOx storage material, and the precious metal dispersion, and thus deteriorates the performances and the durability of the catalyst. Benefiting from its 20 years of R&D expertise in the synthesis of mixed oxides with high thermal resistance for gasoline catalysts, Rhodia has prepared a new generation of materials based on Ceria and Alumina.

These recently developed Ceria-based mixed oxides show an 80% NOx Storage Capacity (NSC) as low as 200°C after hydrothermal aging at 750°C. They are completely desulfated at 500°C. These materials maintain precious metal finely dispersed even after hydrothermal aging at 850°C. At the same time, new functionalized alumina with improved durability, shows a high NSC over a wide range of temperature from 200 up to 400°C.

NOx trap AlBaCe materials are in the industrial upscaling phase. Rhodia can supply 100 kg batches, prepared in pilot tools on request. NOx trap Ceria-based mixed oxides are fully industrial and Rhodia already supplies significant volumes for growing NOx trap applications

Materials for Selective Catalytic Reduction technologies (SCR): SCR features continuous reduction of NOx by ammonia. The industry has sought a substitute for the first generation of SCR catalysts based on vanadium – titania, due to a low thermal stability, and due to the potential health effect of vanadium. Base metal-exchanged zeolites are promising NH3-SCR catalysts. However, they show poor conversion rates at low temperature (150°C – 200°C) and a limited thermal stability over 700°C. This is a major drawback for passenger car, and light duty applications, when the exhaust line is fitted with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

Rhodia and MEL Chemicals are collaborating in the field of Zirconia-based acidic materials; the collaboration proposes mixed oxides with high thermal stability promoted by rare earths and base metals. These materials show pure phase, high surface area (more than 100 m²/g at 900°C in air) and a high stability after ageing at 750°C/16h in wet air. These oxides show a high NOx conversion at 200°C, no N2O formation and a very low NH3 slip.

Acidic zirconias for SCR are in the industrial upscaling phase. Rhodia and MEL can supply 100 kg batches, prepared in pilot tools on request.

Silcea is Rhodia's fine inorganic chemistry enterprise and the global leader in rare earth-based materials and high performance silica. Rhodia Silcea supplies major players focused on sustainable mobility with a complete range of materials for exhaust emissions control. On the electronics market, Silcea is the specialist for phosphors used in low-energy lamps, LCD and plasma flat screens. The inventor of high dispersibility silica, which in particular reduces fuel consumption, Rhodia Silcea is a key partner for the tire industry, as well as the elastomer, feed and food industries.

Rhodia is an international chemical company resolutely committed to sustainable development. As a leader in its businesses, the Group aims to improve its customers' performance through the pursuit of operational excellence and its ability to innovate. Structured around six Enterprises, Rhodia is the partner of major players in the automotive, tire, refining, electronics, perfume, health and beauty and home care markets. The Group employs around 15,500 people worldwide and generated sales of €5.1 billion in 2007. Rhodia is listed on Euronext Paris.

MEL Chemicals is part of the Luxfer Group and is the world’s leading manufacturer of zirconium chemicals. It supplies zirconium chemicals and oxides for use in a wide range of applications including catalysts & sorbents, paper coatings, engineering ceramics and separations. It operates plants in the UK, US and Japan.

• 15/04/08 : Rhodia alumina business integrated for broader emissions control technology portfolio

• 04/16/07 - Additive-based Diesel Particulate Filter

SAE, Detroit – April, 16 2007 –
- Beyond eliminating particulates, A-DPF technology for diesel engines is the best compromise available on the market in terms of CO2 and NO2 emissions control

In addition to eliminating particulates, the A-DPF (Additive-based Diesel Particulate Filter) system demonstrates good performance in terms of CO2 and NO2, making A-DPF the technology of choice as regards environmental impact.

Commonly referred to as A-DPF or FBC-DPF (Fuel Borne Catalyst-Diesel Particulate Filter) this technology was launched commercially in 2000 by the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group on diesel vehicles equiped with a particulate filter using the Rhodia-developed Eolys™ additive.

Rhodia’s additive enables the filter regeneration temperature to be lowered by about 200°C and to reduce the particulate combustion time to between 2 and 4 minutes, depending on the system configuration, as opposed to 15 to 30 minutes frequently necessary for other technologies.

The test results speak for themselves:
- PARTICULATES : This technology eliminates more than 99.9% by number of the particulates in the exhaust gas. In emissions terms, this translates to approximately 1-3 mg/km particulates emitted over the standardized European MVEG cycle. This is about 25 times lower than the average emissions level of comparable diesel vehicles sold without filters in 2005, and is similar to the emissions levels of most gasoline vehicles and even lower than some.
- CO2: The very low combustion temperature and the high system reactivity enable the additional diesel fuel consumption necessary for the regeneration operation to be limited to less than 1% (compared to 3 to 5% for other technologies). This represents a “saving” of between 2 and 4% in CO2 emissions. This saving may prove more substantial in medium- and heavy-duties applications.
- NO2: Since A-DPF technology has no impact on NO2 emissions and is not dependent on this pollutant for filter regeneration (the regeneration is catalyzed by Eolys™ and not by NO2), it is obviously the best compromise in terms of NO2 emissions.

Eolys is added to the diesel fuel in very low concentration (only a few ppm). After passing through the combustion process, it is trapped in the particulate filter along with the soot particulates emitted by the engine. By catalyzing the combustion of these trapped particulates, Eolys solves a crucial problem, namely, how to regenerate the particulate filter at low temperature. In other words, how to clean the filter when it is completely filled with soot particulates and the temperature of the exhaust gas is too low to initiate combustion on its own. This technology has been developed to meet the requirements of vehicles used in urban and semi-urban cycles, currently the most widespread use for vehicles.

2.5 million vehicles are already equiped with this technology in Europe, with zero recall. In the US, registration by the EPA of fuel additives for on-road applications is subject to a specific regulatory procedure. Rhodia is currently following this procedure in order to register the third generation Eolys additive. Demonstration programs have been carried out with American partners that have confirmed the benefits of additive-based technology: performance, flexibility as regards fuel sulfur content, durability under difficult driving cycles, no impact on NO2 emissions, and cost benefits.

• 04/16/07 - Rhodia Increases Manufacturing Capacity

SAE Detroit, USA– 16 April 2007 -
- Rhodia Silcea, a global leader in rare earth performance raw materials for automotive catalysis, announces a 30% increase in manufacturing capacity at its La Rochelle (France) site.

Rhodia has been a major supplier of rare-earth raw materials to Autocatalyst manufacturers since the inception of Autocatalyst technology in the 70s. Over the past 30 years, this technology has brought major benefits to ambient air purity.

In the mid-90s Rhodia innovation led to the launch of the Actalys™ range of Cerium/Zirconium mixed oxides. These materials enabled Autocatalyst manufacturers to develop advanced catalyst formulations for use in gasoline catalytic converters*. Automotive OEMs were thus able to comply with increasingly ambitious automotive emission limits.

In 2005, Rhodia launched the Optalys™ range of mixed oxides, a second generation of proprietary materials that boost catalytic performance even at low precious metal loading.

Optalys materials exhibit outstanding thermal stability allowing the catalytic converter to be placed very close to the engine. This means the converter reaches its working temperature very rapidly & minimises so-called ‘cold start’ emissions.

Furthermore, thanks to their thermal stability, Optalys materials reduce the amount of precious metal – the active ingredient and the major cost element – needed to make a converter function efficiently. They therefore offer regulatory compliance at minimal cost.


Olivier Touret, Director of the Rhodia Catalysis Business, commented: ‘The success of the Optalys range and the continued strong demand for Actalys materials has meant we have had to expand our production capacity at our La Rochelle factory by over 30%. Our world wide capacity for these types of materials is now in excess of 4 000 tonnes pa and we are already studying the next phase of investment.’



* A gasoline catalytic converter comprises a honeycomb substrate (either ceramic or metallic) in a metallic housing. The inner surfaces the substrate are coated with a catalytic formulation. Cerium /Zirconium mixed oxides, along with Alumina and the precious metals (Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium) are key ingredients in this formulation. On passing through the substrate, the toxic engine-out emissions (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide & nitrogen oxides) contained in the engine exhaust and are converted on contact with the catalyst into non-toxic species (water, nitrogen & carbon dioxide).

• 04/16/07 - RHODIA SILCEA AND MEL CHEMICALS COLLABORATE

SAE, Detroit, April 16 2007 -
- Rhodia Silcea and MEL Chemicals have launched a collaboration programme to develop a new proprietary class of acidic materials, known as Acidic Mixed Oxides. The objective of this programme is to provide innovative chemical solutions to help reduce Diesel emissions.

The market for automotive diesel emissions control is growing rapidly as increasingly stringent regulations are being implemented in Europe (>50% new car registrations are diesels) and for Heavy Duty vehicles in the US.

Achieving regulatory conformance at lowest cost is a major challenge for Automotive OEMs & suppliers of emissions-control technologies. Eddie Haughey, MD of MEL Chemicals commented ‘By developing innovative materials offering properties specifically suited to use in technologies such as Diesel Oxidation Catalysis and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), MEL & Rhodia believe that we can assist catalyst producers in developing better & more durable technologies.’

Initially the collaborative programme will focus on developing high surface area, doped zirconias; the use of specific inorganic dopants combined with proprietary manufacturing processes gives highly acidic materials with good sulphur resistance and high thermal stability. These properties should help enhance catalyst performance and durability whilst simultaneously reducing the amount of precious metals (the active ingredient) used in the catalyst.

Olivier Touret, Director of Rhodia’s Catalysis business, explained: ‘Both companies have considerable know-how and strong positions in the supply of materials for gasoline emissions control. Currently, neither company supplies acidic mixed oxides for Diesel applications. By working with MEL we will benefit from a number of synergies which will enable us to rapidly bring these new materials to market’.

• 04/16/07 - First passenger cars, now SUV and Heavy Duty

SAE, Detroit, April 16 2007 -
- After more than 6 years’ experience and with nearly 2.5 million vehicles on the road (with zero recall), the A-DPF (Additive-based Diesel Particulate Filter) with Rhodia’s Eolys™ technology has demonstrated its efficiency, robustness and durability under all driving conditions. Furthermore, in challenging real life conditions this technology shows a fuel penalty of less than 1%.

Besides the passenger car market, this technology has also proved itself with the retrofitting of light-, medium- and heavy-duties vehicles. These applications are particularly demanding as regards cost, durability and performance, and this under severe thermal management conditions. Eolys is currently used in retrofit applications not only for buses, and delivery and utility vehicles, but also in off-road applications such as construction machinery, forklift trucks, and generators. Rhodia is actively involved in urban vehicle retrofit partnerships with numerous cities in Europe and Asia.

This development is currently ongoing for Euro V applications with SUV, utility and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers. The advantages displayed by A-DPF technology are key to these applications: it ensures optimum performance under all driving conditions minimizes the impact of additional fuel consumption and guarantees excellent durability. Heavy-duty applications will also benefit from the advantages offered by A-DPF technology for DPF- DeNOx combinations. Thanks to its outstanding performance, this technology offers great flexibility in integrating these two emissions control systems (DPF located upstream or downstream of a De-NOx catalyst), which constitutes a key element for the current US and future European emission standards.

Improvements made to the activity and thus to the performance of the Eolys™ additive have enabled the onboard volume to be reduced. Indeed, with the second generation of Eolys (launched in 2002), the additive tank required refilling every 140 000 km (87 500 miles). The third Eolys™ generation, which is currently being launched - combined with advanced ceramic filter technologies - enables a maintenance-free system with a range exceeding 250 000 km (155 000 miles).
In addition to this “fit for life” dimension, the technology involves a fuel penalty of less than 1% (compared to 3 to 5% for other technologies) and ensures optimum regeneration performance under all driving conditions (motorway or urban cycle). A-DPF technology is completely transparent for the driver and passengers: the system requires no intervention by the driver or a change in driving style. Currently, there is no equivalent on the market.

In the US, registration by the EPA of fuel additives for on-road applications is subject to a specific regulatory procedure. Rhodia is currently following the EPA procedure in order to register the third generation Eolys additive. Demonstration programs have been carried out with American partners and have confirmed the benefits of additive-based technology, namely: performance, flexibility as regards fuel sulfur content, durability under difficult driving cycles, no adverse impact on NO2 emissions, and cost effectiveness.