Mazda launches three-way catalyst
November 30, 2008 Posted by: Paul Lucas
Another motor show is just around the corner - the Bologna Motor Show will kick off on December 3 - and one company is already planning a spectacular new launch to mark the event.
Having just unveiled the four-door sedan version of the Mazda3 at last week’s Los Angeles Motor Show, the Mazda Motor Corporation will now introduce a five-door hatchback version of the same car. Most notable is that the petrol-powered versions of the Mazda3 will feature the first vehicle catalyst constructed with Mazda’s new catalyst structure which will substantially reduce the amount of precious metals required.
A standard three-way catalyst, which features platinum, rhodium and palladium, is less effective due to the exposure to gas heat which causes the precious metal to agglomerate into larger particles. So to tackle the problem, Mazda has developed a catalyst material that uses single, nano-sized precious metal particles in fixed positions. With no agglomeration occurring, the amount of high-priced precious metals used can be reduced by 70-90 per cent. In a similar fashion, Nissan has recently released a new version of the Cube which incorporates an ultra-low precious metal catalyst.
The catalyst is just one of the many improvements to the Mazda3, which is available with a 2.2litre turbo-diesel engine, a 1.6litre turbo-diesel, as well as 1.6 and 2.0litre petrol models.
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Filed under: Green cars, Latest news | Tags: Bologna Motor Show, Green cars, mazda, Mazda3 |
