Big platinum producer dismisses Ford emission catalyst

Press, 28 December 1988, Page 25

Big platinum producer dismisses Ford emission catalyst

NZPA-Reuter London Rustenburg Platinum Holdings says it sees little potential in the platinumfree catalyst developed by the Ford Motor Company because of a possible tightening of United States emission standards, problems associated with lead in fuel and price considerations. “There is no evidence to suggest that the new catalytic device will to any material extent replace platinum-based

catalysts,” the world’s largest platinum producer said in a statement. If the new catalyst contained no platinum, it was likely to be a palladiumbased catalyst, the South African producer said. If so, the catalyst would be poisoned by even the smallest quantity of lead present in the fuel system. “Such a catalyst would therefore not be used in the rapidly growing European market where leaded fuels will continue

for the foreseeable future,” it said. Ford has not given details of its new catalyst, but Johnson Matthey Pic, the world’s largest refiner, which has worked on the Ford development, has said it uses a combination of platinum group metals different from current compositions. The new catalyst might not be at all effective if the U.S. enacts legislation aimed at tightening emission standards and extending the durability of autocatalysts, Rustenburg said. Legislation before Congress proposes stiffer controls on nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon emissions and would double the present 50,000 kilometre warranty requirement on autocatalysts. Ford’s test programme will have to run for some

time to see if the catalyst meets existing car emission standards throughout the warranty. And if the catalyst is effective, the result would be a sharp rise in the palladium price, making the metal less attractive economically, it said. When Ford announced the new catalyst this month, it said it was conducting a pilot production run of the new converter. They have been installed on 40,000 to 50,000 1989 Ford Thunderbird and Cougar models equipped with 3.8 litre naturally aspirated engines which will be sold in California. Platinum prices have begun to rise again. They were at SUSS4S an ounce in London on Friday after slipping from just over SUS6OO on the Ford announcement. Palladium has been trading about SUSI 36 an ounce.