Process for manufacturing a component for a catalytic converter

• US 9,737,851 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Technology Emission Solutions Inc
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Emission Solutions Inc
• Inventors: Crawford, Robin, Douglas, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Afzali, Sarang
• Application Number:
  US13/971,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20140056780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/94 by catalytic processes
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/043 filling cavities or chambers of hollow blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/241 using microwave heating means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/11 comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/30 Extrusion nozzles or dies extrusion characterised by the shape or cross-section of the extruded article B29C48/03
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/345 Extrusion nozzles comprising two or more adjacently arranged ports, for simultaneously extruding multiple strands, e.g. for pelletising
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0089 Producing honeycomb structures consisting of porous ceramic ware C04B38/0006
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/10 Clay sepiolite C04B14/042; grog C04B18/025
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/42 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/0081 as catalysts or catalyst carriers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 26/02 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/195 Alkaline earth aluminosilicates, e.g. cordierite or anorthite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0012 characterised by the material used for sealing or plugging (some of) the channels of the honeycombs
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0054 the pores being microsized or nanosized
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0218 Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2510/02 for thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0222 the structure being monolithic, e.g. honeycombs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/108 for heating a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49345 : Catalytic device making

Abstract

In a process for manufacturing a catalytic converter component, a ceramic unit is used that has been prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure in which tubular passages extend along the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another. The unit is obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing it. The process further comprises flowing insulation material from one end of the unit into selected ones of the elongate passages, vaporizing a moisture content of the insulation material to form pores and curing the insulation material by using microwave irradiation to solidify the pores. The passages are selected so that the cured insulation material forms an internal thermal insulating barrier between a core zone of the unit and a radially outer zone of the unit.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing a component for a catalytic converter, comprising taking a ceramic unit prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure having a plurality of elongate tubular passages extending along a length of the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another, the unit being obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing the cut off length of extrusion, the process further comprising, following the firing, injecting a very low viscosity insulation material comprising a mixture of glass fibres, ceramic slurry, binder, and water from an end of the unit into selected ones of the plurality of elongate passages so as to block selected passages, and heating the injected insulation material solely by the use of microwave irradiation to vaporize the water and thereby form a plurality of pores in the injected insulation material, and subsequently to solidify the injected insulation material around the plurality of pores, and drying the injected insulation material in the solidified condition, the dried injected insulation material forming an internal thermally insulating barrier between a core zone of the unit and a radially outer zone of the wherein the walls dividing adjacent passages from one another are maintained at the site of the insulating barrier.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising using a gasket layer on an input end of the unit, the gasket layer having a first aperture shaped and positioned to limit incursion of the insulation material into passages other than selected passages.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2, further comprising positioning a second gasket layer at an output end of the ceramic unit, the second gasket layer having a second aperture therein aligned with the selected ones of the plurality of tubular passages.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flowing insulation material from the end of the unit is such as to at least partially fill a length of each of the selected ones of the passages with the insulation material.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, following curing, the cured insulation material is a matrix of silica containing interconnected air pockets, the air pockets each having a size generally in a range from 1.5 millimeters to 0.3 millimeters across.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the barrier is less than twice and greater than one times a penetration depth of the microwave radiation into an uncured flowed insulation material, the microwave radiation directed from both sides of the internal thermally insulating barrier.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulation material is directed through a die to obtain the internal thermally insulating barrier in a generally cylindrical shape.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising incrementally relatively moving an extrusion die and the ceramic unit to optimize registration of an exit aperture of the die to entrance openings of the selected passages.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1, the solidifying the injected insulation material around the plurality of pores being at least partially obtained by increasing the viscosity of the injected insulation material by further vaporizing and driving off some of the water.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the binder of the insulation material is a heat-activated polymer binder, the solidifying the injected insulation material around the plurality of pores being at least partially obtained by increasing the viscosity of the injected insulation material by the heating of the polymer binder to cause polymerization thereof.