Apr 29 2008
Equicap, Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Usunco Automotive has started to provide advanced Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) technology to Chinese tier-one automobile and off-road vehicle manufacturers. Usunco has entered into an agreement with and provided sample substrates of DOC applications to a manufacturer in Shandong Province. This manufacturer is expected to can the substrates into completed catalysts and sell to Chinese system integrators and vehicle makers.
This new DOC technology was developed by a leading United States based R&D corporation specializing in emission reduction for diesel engines. This patented new technology of an advanced coating is formulated to operate at lower diesel exhaust temperatures and to allow for lower platinum group metal (PGM) loading.
In diesel catalyst applications, temperature and precious metal loading often cause the major emission issues. A diesel engine typically has a lower exhaust and light-off temperature than a gasoline engine, which often takes a longer time for the catalytic process actually to start. This delayed effect allows hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) to be emitted by the engine until the thermal requirement is achieved.
The newly formulated and advanced coating that Usunco is introducing produces a catalyst to react at less than 392°F (200°C), which allows the oxidation process for CO and HC to take place at engine startup when it is at a colder thermal state. Therefore, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions are lowered.
In response to global warming and domestic environmental issues, the Chinese government has recently moved to raise in the near term the emission standards for diesel engines. Many OEMs are searching for more technology- efficient and cost-effective solutions to meet the more stringent emission requirements. Besides the upgrading and improvement to existing diesel engines, which significantly increases the cost of engines, using catalysts to reduce emissions provides a cost-effective option for many vehicle and industrial equipment manufacturers. According to China Custom statistics, in 2007, the production output of low speed diesel engines is 1.69 million sets with total power of 2.27 million kW in China, both import and local production increased 28% and 35% respectively compared to that of 2006.
"The introduction of our new DOC technology to China has a great market potential in the right place at the right time. We are looking to leverage our relationships with Chinese OEMs to roll out more good value-added products." said by Mr. Jason Lu, the CEO of Usunco Automotive.