Since the early 1990s, BASF has been a technology leader in the effort to curb nitrous oxide (N2O – commonly known as laughing gas), a significant contributor to greenhouse gas.
Using its proprietary catalyst, BASF has managed to save, at its own sites around the world and at customers’ sites too, nitrous oxide emissions that are equivalent, to about 20 million tons of carbon dioxide per year since 1998. As of 2008, this figure will increase to around 40 million tons annually.
In the early 1990s, BASF developed the first catalyst for removing nitrous oxide from the waste gas emitted by adipic acid and nitric acid plants, and started using it on an industrial scale in 1997. This patented process catalytically converts N2O emissions into nitrogen and oxygen, both components of the air we breathe. In adipic acid plants, the heat released by the decomposition of nitrous oxide can also serve to generate process steam, enhancing the energy efficiency of the process.
Using this process enabled BASF to make a voluntary commitment to the German authorities in 1997 to reduce nitrous oxide emissions in the production of adipic acid by 90 percent. In 2008, BASF’s customers started using this process as well.
To reduce laughing gas emissions from nitric acid plants, BASF resorts to a so-called secondary process in which the catalyst that breaks down nitrous oxide is mounted below the noble metal screens in an existing ammonia oxidation reactor. In this way, the nitrous oxide formed on the noble metal gauze in a side-reaction is immediately decomposed again. The use of different catalyst types and geometries allows the technology to be adapted to specific plant requirements and operator demands. This ensures optimum plant operation and the best possible reduction of nitrous oxide. Operators do not need to invest either in a separate reactor or further supplies such as energy or additives, thus making the life-cycle cost of the process particularly advantageous.
BASF is the only N2O decomposition technology supplier with 10-years commercial scale experience, as well as the only one producing nitric acid and using the technology in its own installations. With this extensive experience, BASF continues to improve these highly efficient, durable catalysts.
As a leader in the world's commercial-aircraft market, Airbus Industries knows that the key to profitability and leadership is the consistent delivery of cost-effective, comfortable aircraft. Faced with ever more stringent requirements for weight, cost and maintenance, Airbus must scrutinize every aircraft subsystem to ensure optimal performance. When evaluating solutions for improving cabin air, Airbus approached BASF as a potential supplier.
At BASF, we take our relationships very seriously. We understand the impact our solutions can have — not only on our customers, but theirs. When Airbus came to us, we cooperated with them to create a leading cabin-air solution, and our ability to deliver to specification and help the company meet its business objectives was key to forging the partnership.
Our collaborative approach, problem-solving skills, and unique combination of leadership technologies and ingenious people helped us win the confidence of Airbus. BASF Deoxo® catalytic ozone converters are now providing Airbus with world-class performance that delivers:
- Light weight
- Small size
- Ease of installation
- Ease of maintenance
- Long service life
These solutions add up to a competitive edge for Airbus — and are one more way BASF is helping its customers to be even more successful.
Over one thousand school buses across the United States were retrofitted with clean-air technology from BASF under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Buses for Kids Program.
Each year, American children spend three billion hours on school buses _ 99% of which are diesel. Exhaust from diesel fuel, which powers 90% percent of the 454,000 school buses on the road today, has been shown to cause or exacerbate a host of health problems -- including asthma, lung disease and cancer -- and has been linked to premature death.
Retrofitting conventional diesel school buses with emission-control technology can help reduce a child's exposure to potentially harmful particulates present in the vehicles' exhaust. The EPA program provides funding to school districts and other eligible public entities to purchase and install emission-control equipment on post-1990 diesel school buses.
A majority of the approximately 40 school districts selected for funding under the EPA program chose to retrofit their school buses with BASF DPX® diesel particulate filters.
BASF's technology was praised for its easy, cost-efficient installation and solid performance in reducing harmful emissions, including particulate matter, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.
We are proud to have played a part in this successful program.
The Big Dig construction project in Boston consists of a total of 160 lane miles of new highway in a 7.5-mile long corridor, half of which are tunnels. Construction included about 13 million cubic yards of excavated earth material and 4 million cubic yards of concrete hauled by over half a million truckload trips. During mainline construction, hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment were used 24 hours a day, including large excavators, front-end loaders, bulldozers, cranes, cement trucks, and both 10-wheel and 18-wheel dump trucks.
The roughly 200,000 pieces of construction equipment operating in the northeast account for close to 25% of the PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers in size) emissions from all sources. The reduction of these emissions has the potential to both improve ambient air quality for the region and to especially to the people living near the construction zone. So the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Northeast States Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) association undertook the Big Dig Diesel Emissions Reduction Project.
The goal of the Big Dig Diesel Emissions Reduction Project was to reduce emissions near homes, hospitals, underground construction areas and fresh air intakes. The project included retrofitting construction equipment with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) and diesel particulate filters (DPFs). BASF supplied diesel oxidation catalysts and BASF DPX™ diesel particulate filters for this project. According to contractor experience, the equipment retrofitted with catalysts did not suffer any loss of power or require any additional fuel or maintenance.
The Big Dig Diesel Construction Retrofit Program has proven that retrofitting construction equipment with catalysts is very feasible, and can also significantly lower emissions, odors, and visible smoke. Moreover, considering that the cost of oxidation catalysts is a small fraction of the total equipment-retrofitting costs, the program is also very cost effective. Best of all, the retrofitted equipment showed an approximate reduction of 36 tons/year for carbon monoxide, 12 tons per year of hydrocarbons, and 3 tons per year of particulate matter.
Hong Kong, one of the world’s most populous cities, had a growing air pollution problem. With increasing frequency, Hong Kong's air pollution index was "high" or worse, indicating that dangerous levels of smog and fine particles are in the air.
This was largely because the many diesel engines used in the city generate much higher levels of fine particulates in the air than in many places. Diesel particulates have been linked to a variety of respiratory and lung diseases, including cancer.
While the Hong Kong government began looking for ways to reduce diesel pollution, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB), Hong Kong's largest operator of public buses, decided to take action on its own. They chose BASF to help in the effort.
KMB undertook to retrofit one third of their vehicles with BASF's catalytic converter mufflers, installing the technology on all 1,800 pre-1994 buses in their fleet.
"We are committed to contributing to Hong Kong's battle for cleaner air," said KMB Managing Director John Chan. "This retrofit initiative allows us to help clean the air, thereby making an important impact on the growth and development of our city."
Today the catalytic converter mufflers on KMB’s buses are preventing more than 3,000 metric tons of pollution from entering Hong Kong's air every year.
Diesel engines are a durable and economic source of power, and yet their exhaust contains tiny particles known as fine particulate matter, as well as ozone-forming nitrogen oxides and many other air pollutants. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says both fine particles and ozone pose serious public health problems, including lung damage and aggravation of existing respiratory diseases, such as asthma.
The EPA believes that particulate matter, especially that found in diesel exhaust, is a likely cause of cancer. It is also responsible for 15,000 premature deaths every year in the United States. Because of this, the EPA and other government agencies have launched numerous diesel retrofit programs, many of which rely on diesel particulate filters.
While diesel particulate filters have been proven effective in many retrofit programs, they traditionally require diesel fuel with very low sulfur levels. This presented a problem for Philadelphia, which only had access to 350 ppm sulfur diesel fuel for their buses. BASF DPX™ filters provided a solution to that problem.
Currently over 400 of Philadelphia’s buses have been retrofitted with BASF DPX™ filters, preventing more than 1000 tons of pollution from entering the city’s air. Importantly, this program was one of the first of its kind funded by a CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality improvement) grant from the government. The US Federal government CMAQ program provides billions of dollars for projects that reduce criteria air pollutants regulated from transportation-related sources. The result: our air is getting cleaner.
Technology developed by BASF provides carmakers with an additional tool to meet increasingly stringent California and federal standards for evaporative emissions.
Evaporative emissions are hydrocarbon vapors from cars that come from sources outside the exhaust system - such as the air intake system, fuel rail, exhaust gas recirculation system and the gas tank.
With today's efficient exhaust emission controls and cleaner gasoline formulations, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that evaporative emissions can account for the majority of the total hydrocarbon pollution from current model cars on hot days when ozone (smog) levels are highest.
BASF's hydrocarbon-trapping technology, which prevents a large amount of evaporative emissions from reaching the environment, enables automakers to comply with the tough new regulations. The technology is another example of BASF helping its customers to be more successful. In this case, BASF developed a proprietary zeolite based on its earlier successes in reducing "cold- start" emissions (pollution that escapes a car in the first minute or so after ignition.) The new zeolite, which is coated onto a substrate for excellent adhesion, has a high capacity to trap hydrocarbons within its pores and channels.
This "hydrocarbon trap" is placed between a car’s air cleaner and engine, where it can capture hydrocarbons that are escaping through the air intake. This position is optimal because the air intake system contributes as much as 50% of total evaporative emissions.
The trap absorbs hydrocarbons that are emitted when the engine is stopped. Once the car is started and driven, the trap releases the hydrocarbons into the engine where they are burned. In this way, the new hydrocarbon trap continually regenerates itself.
The hydrocarbon trap is designed to remain effective for 150,000 miles, and is tamper-proof so it avoids the use of costly on-board diagnostics equipment. The trap also has minimal impact on airflow into the engine and can withstand exposure to ice, water, salt, dust, air filter surfactant and engine backfire.
BASF is supplying technology to some of the world's leading motorcycle manufacturers to help them meet stricter emission standards that will become even tougher throughout the next decade.
Worldwide, an estimated 25 million gasoline-operated, two-wheeled vehicles are manufactured annually. Regulators in the U.S., Europe and Asia have established emission limits for these vehicles that have grown increasingly tight in recent years. For example, Euro II motorcycle regulations required a reduction of emissions from 4-stroke engines by more than 50%. Euro III motorcycle regulations required yet another 50% reduction.
The evolution of emission control in motorcycles is similar to automobiles, notably the phasing in of increasingly-stringent regulations on hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Meeting these tougher standards puts particular emphasis on cold-start and durability requirements.
Having introduced the modern, three-way catalyst for automobiles in the 1970’s, BASF applied its experience and expertise to control emissions from motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds. The result was technology with improved durability and lower precious metal costs. In addition, our application-engineering expertise and extensive laboratory network enabled manufacturers to reduce production-development time. It’s all part of helping customers to be more successful.
BASF Catalysts is supplying selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology for Beijing transit buses that will be the first in mainland China to meet Euro IV emission standards. About 450 of the specially equipped buses will be on Beijing streets by the end of 2007, with an additional 600 buses scheduled for 2008. The SCR systems are projected to cut NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions from the buses by more than 60%.
Beijing’s transport authorities have announced that they will phase out thousands of older diesel buses and replace most of them with buses that meet Euro IV emission standards before the 2008 Olympic Games.
“We are excited to be part of China’s historic efforts to reduce vehicle pollution in Beijing,” said Luna Song, Regional Sales Manager, BASF Catalysts, “All eyes will be on the city during next summer’s Olympic Games and we’re proud to play a role in cleaning the air.”
BASF’s SCR catalysts are currently being incorporated into 6.5-liter and 8.4-liter diesel engines made by Yuchai Machinery Corporation, the largest engine manufacturer in China. BASF worked closely with Yuchai to develop the most cost-effective SCR system to deliver the needed NOx reduction.
SCR is one of several technology platforms BASF has developed to meet the significant growing demand for emission-control technologies resulting from the phase-in of more stringent heavy-duty diesel regulations worldwide. The SCR catalyst comprises a catalytically active component coated on a ceramic honeycomb. When a reductant, such as AdBlue® urea by BASF, is added to the system, the catalyst promotes a chemical reaction that converts NOx into water and nitrogen.
BASF Catalysts originally pioneered SCR technology in the late 1960s for stationary-source applications such as power-generating and industrial manufacturing facilities. The company continues to be a major supplier to the stationary-source market.
Many airlines now look to BASF to perform a vitally important service for their DHC-8 aircraft. BASF offers a complete overhaul and repair service, using high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) tungsten carbide coatings to restore the dimensional integrity of the flap track sets used on DHC-8 aircraft — a service that meets the specifications and requirements of the aircraft’s manufacturer, Bombardier.
By demonstrably improving the flap track’s ability to withstand damage from cavitation and vibration, as well as exposure to salt and moisture, the HVOF tungsten carbide coatings have been credited with extending the service life of these critical structural wing components by an additional 20,000 to 40,000 cycles (one cycle represents one takeoff and one landing). This has improved the DHC-8’s performance, and has also contributed to airline operators’ bottom line by enhancing the life of their planes.
BASF developed an innovative Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology that enables heavy-duty diesel trucks to comply with stringent Euro 4 and Euro 5 emission regulations. It is in serial production on the flagship model of a major European truck manufacturer.
Euro 4 standards, call for a 30% reduction of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from heavy-duty diesel vehicles. Euro 5 standards are projected to require an additional 40% reduction in NOx emissions.
The SCR catalyst comprises a catalytically-active component coated on a ceramic honeycomb. In the presence of a reductant, such as AdBlue by BASF, the catalyst promotes a chemical reaction that converts NOx into water and nitrogen.
The SCR catalyst can readily achieve NOx-removal efficiencies greater than 80% (depending on operating conditions), and is easily integrated into an existing truck chassis through technology leveraged from catalytic converters on passenger cars. BASF originally pioneered SCR technology in the late-'60s for stationary-source applications, such as power-generating and industrial manufacturing facilities. The company continues to be a major supplier to the stationary-source market around the world.
SCR is just one of many technology platforms developed by BASF to meet the world’s growing demands for emission-control technologies and help its customers to be more successful.
According to research conducted for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), running a lawnmower for only an hour emits as much pollution as driving a car 50 to 60 miles.
One company that decided to put the "green" back into lawn and garden equipment is Swedish manufacturer Husqvarna. They partnered with BASF to develop a catalytic system that would dramatically reduce harmful emissions.
The challenges were great:
- Two-stroke engines operate at very high temperatures
- Space is tight as they are very small
- Costs had to be kept to a minimum so as not to cause a competitive disadvantage for Husqvarna's other products.
The BASF team came up with a truly innovative idea: they would design a special catalyst that could be applied directly onto the interior of noise-reduction mufflers already used on the lawn and garden equipment. Engineers from Husqvarna and BASF worked together to put this idea to the test.
It passed brilliantly. The catalytic muffler for small engine emissions cut hydrocarbon and NOx emissions in half and nearly eliminated visible smoke and odor, all for less than $4.00 per unit. Needless to say, BASF’s smart thinking and teamwork resulted in a tremendous success – not only for the Husqvarna, but also for the environment.
BASF developed innovative catalyst technology that meets Euro IV emission regulations while reducing precious-metal costs for automakers. This technology is in serial production on model platforms from two major European carmakers.
Each of these vehicles is equipped with a three-catalyst system to achieve regulatory compliance. The BASF platinum/palladium diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) technology enables palladium to be substituted for one-third of the platinum on one of those catalysts. This provides significant precious metal cost-savings while providing the high temperature durability needed in diesel-emission-control applications.
Emissions from diesel engines are of increasing concern to government regulators around the world. Euro IV regulations require carmakers to significantly reduce emissions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), which pollute the air and are linked to respiratory diseases.
BASF used its expertise in emission-control technology to provide the most cost-effective solutions for the market, which helps its customers to be more successful.
Catalytic converters, which are responsible for dramatically reducing automobile pollution, are now doing the same thing for several nationwide restaurant chains.
BASF has leveraged its expertise in environmental catalysis to develop the most widely accepted food-service catalyst technology in order to meet new emissions regulations for restaurants.
Chain-driven charbroilers and rapid-cook technology used in many fast food restaurants rely on high temperatures to cook meat quickly, but they also generate large amounts of smoke and odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. By some estimates, cooking four normal size hamburgers emits the same amount of VOCs as driving a current model car 1,000 miles.
In addition to their impact on air quality, smoke and odors in restaurant kitchens can cause irritation and discomfort for employees. For these reasons, emission control has become an important part of cooking-process design. Our food-service technology cost-effectively addresses this need and is now in operation at thousands of stores run by several restaurant chains across the country.
BASF's food-service catalytic converters can reduce cooking emissions by more than 80%, and meet California's strict C-Cert requirements for VOC and smoke abatement. They reduce smoke and gases from charbroilers and rapid-cook ovens by oxidizing them. The converters are mounted into charbroiler ventilation shrouds or rapid-cook oven ventilation ducts where they run on exhaust heat. The systems are designed for easy installation and maintenance.
In addition to its clean-air benefits, the technology also enables restaurant operators to lower operating costs by decreasing their gas usage and reducing the frequency of duct and roof cleaning. As a result, payback time can be less than a year.
With one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, China, like many countries, faces a growing environmental challenge. The country’s transportation needs have grown exponentially in Beijing, a capital of 15 million people.
To avoid the threat of gridlock, Beijing’s extensive network of bus routes connects the residential suburbs with the city center. Yet with more buses comes the inevitable decrease in air quality.
China’s widely attended 2008 Summer Olympics, presented as the first “Green Olympics”, highlighted Beijing’s air pollution levels challenges, particularly by the global media covering the event.
To stop public transportation from making the situation even worse and instead use it to bring about a solution, China launched a completely new approach. The Beijing transport authorities phased out thousands of older diesel buses and replaced most of them with buses that meet Euro IV emission standards before the 2008 Olympic Games. BASF Catalysts took on the challenge of equipping Beijing’s first mass transit buses with SCR (selective catalytic reduction) catalysts. By the start of the Olympic Games more than 1,000 new buses equipped with the new technology were introduced.
Collaborating with Yuchai Machinery Corporation, China’s biggest engine manufacturer, BASF Catalysts developed a cost-effective method of applying modern catalyst technology to large diesel engines used in mass transit.
The SCR system, based on technology developed by BASF Catalysts years ago for stationary applications (such as power-generating and industrial manufacturing facilities),lowers nitrogen oxide emissions in line with strict Euro 4 emission standards – which became mandatory in China for all new vehicles starting March 1, 2008.
Beijing bus diesel engines were fitted with a so-called SCR catalyst to reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides. The SCR system consists of a urea injection system and a downstream SCR catalyst. A urea solution is injected into the exhaust system before the SCR catalyst. The urea forms ammonia (NH3) in the hot exhaust flow, which then converts the nitrogen oxides in the SCR catalyst, where almost 95% of it is converted into nitrogen and water.
The catalyst system was carefully tested in engine test facilities under real operating conditions. Special attention was paid to the interaction between engine management and SCR system plus the measurement of emission values. Strict quality standards were essential because the engines and catalysts are designed to have a long service life under difficult conditions.
But the ultimate result was many more clean-running mass transit buses operating on the streets of Beijing. Beijing’s transport authorities have announced that they will phase out thousands of older diesel buses and replace most of them with buses that meet Euro IV emission standards.
Reducing harmful emissions in China is a key task for the future. BASF Catalysts is already making an important contribution today. So that Beijing remains mobile and the air becomes cleaner. It’s a goal worth working hard for.
A leading semiconductor process equipment supplier needed superior temperature control for their newest equipment. The company selected BASF’s Exactus pyrometry technology because they knew it would provide their equipment with exceptional optical temperature measurements.
BASF Exactus’ combination of wide measurement range, high speed, and excellent repeatability provided the chipmaker greater process control and system reliability. The Exactus product is based on BASF’s breakthrough optical temperature-sensing technology that eliminates error caused by fiber optic cables and utilizes proprietary circuitry to substantially increase sensitivity.
While designed for exacting semiconductor applications, BASF’s Exactus optical thermometers are suitable for a wide range of applications in other industries, including glass production, industrial heating, steel and medicine.
Exactus is a registered trademark for which BASF Catalysts LLC has rights.
BASF's patented technology enables new temperature-measurement applications that haven't been practical before. Now the glass industry can measure yield-critical points in the process, to gain new insights to optimize their operations and achieve higher yields and profitability.
Gob Temperature Measurement
BASF Exactus® Optical Thermometers provide critical glass gob information, measuring temperature along the falling gob's entire length, and outputting an average reading. Exactus thermometers can also identify changes in gob length and indicate when one gob falls sooner than another. This provides deeper insight into what is occurring in the gob-forming process, and can help decrease downtime and speed changeovers, as well as improve yield and profitability.
Forehearth Temperature Measurement
Precise, sustainable forehearth temperature measurement has long challenged the glass industry's efforts to improve process control. Heavy, sturdy thermocouple construction can provide accurate and long-lasting operation in this environment, but additional weight also means additional cost. BASF has developed proprietary components in its temperature-sensing technologies that help customers reduce precious metal costs, while optimizing longevity and preserving measurement accuracy.
Fiberglass Spinner Disk Temperature Measurement
With measurement speed of up to 2000 high-resolution digital temperatures per second, Exactus thermometers provide new insights into spinner disk temperatures. Operators use this data for signal monitoring or closed-loop control of the spinner disk temperature. The thermometers can easily detect changes that occur as the spinner disk approaches end-of-life, taking the guesswork out of disk replacement.
Fiberglass Stream Temperature Measurement
With their very low drift-specifications, Exactus thermometers also provide extremely reproducible measurements for controlling glass stream temperatures. These very precise measurements (better than 2°C with known emissivity) enable early identification of cullet glass contamination.
Fiberglass Bushing Temperature Measurement
Exactus thermometers can detect temperature changes as small as 0.001°C, and are designed to drift only 0.10°C per year and 0.05°C per °C change in ambient temperature. This combination of high resolution and minimal drift can help structural fiberglass makers dramatically reduce variability in glass fiber diameter.
Crown Temperature Measurement
Using proprietary material on the thermocouple sheath, BASF has significantly increased the longevity of its crown thermocouples. Thermocouple life has doubled in some situations, improving process efficiency for glass manufacturers.
We are proud to help our customers in the glass industry become even more successful.
Exactus is a registered trademark for which BASF Catalysts LLC has rights.
In 2000, the world's first "smog-eating" cars hit the road. Volvo Car Corporation of Sweden introduced BASF's PremAir® ozone-destroying catalyst on their popular luxury sedan, the S80. Since that successful launch, PremAir has been applied to many other Volvo models.
PremAir catalyst can be applied to heat-exchange surfaces like car radiators and air-conditioner condensers to destroy harmful ground-level ozone as it passes over these surfaces. Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog and is directly linked to respiratory problems and damage to vegetation.
Volvo, which has long pursued environmental responsibility as one of their core values, recognized the potential of the PremAir catalyst and engaged BASF in a joint-development program.
Volvo and BASF began working together to commercialize PremAir in the late 1990’s. They conducted extensive tests to be sure that the catalyst met Volvo's high standards for ozone conversion rates, durability, cost effectiveness, and radiator performance. Once all criteria were met, Volvo moved ahead to bring this environmental innovation to the public.
The launch of PremAir on cars is not the first important environmental collaboration between Volvo and BASF. The two companies teamed up more than 25 years ago to commercialize the first three-way auto catalyst - the type of pollution-control equipment used on more than 80 % of the world's new cars. It’s another example of how BASF helps its customers to be more successful.