Ageing tests on catalysts — Diesel, petrol, e-fuel
Characterise and accelerate the ageing of your post-treatment systems
The Emitech Group offers a comprehensive catalyst ageing service using a dedicated test bench for diesel, petrol and alternative fuel (E-fuel) applications. These tests simulate the degradation of exhaust after-treatment systems under accelerated conditions, in order to validate their durability and efficiency over the vehicle’s service life.
Why carry out catalyst ageing tests?
After-treatment systems (DOC, DPF, SCR, three-way catalytic converter) gradually degrade as a result of thermal cycling, contaminants and the volume of treated gases.
A catalyst that has aged in a non-representative manner distorts emissions measurements during type-approval testing.
Accelerated ageing on a test bench ensures the representativeness of regulatory emissions testing (Euro 6, Euro 7, RDE).
Our catalyst ageing capabilities
Accelerated thermal ageing
- Exhaust temperature up to ~1000°C at the outlet of the test bench
- Dedicated gas burner: 200 kW, nominal mass flow rate 1000 kg/h, outlet temperature up to 1200°C
- Fully configurable ageing cycles (steps, ramps, standard or customer-specific cycles)
Exhaust system configuration
- Ageing of the complete system: DOC, DPF, SCR and three-way catalytic converter
- Canning and decanning of catalytic converters
- Homemade outlet manifold for adaptation to customer geometries
- Two simultaneous ageing lines per test — significant increase in capacity
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Compatibility with alternative fuels
E-fuel-compatible tests, designed to assess the impact of new synthetic fuels on the durability of after-treatment systems.
Flow characterisation before and after ageing
Measurement of efficiency in terms of flow rate and pressure drop, and characterisation of the swirl/tumble behaviour of catalysts before and after ageing, to quantify degradation.
Hot shake testing — coupled thermal and vibration ageing
- Combined test of gas burner and 80 kN electrodynamic vibration test rig.
- Simultaneous simulation of thermal stresses and engine/exhaust system vibrations.
- EHC (Electric Heated Catalyst) test with dual heat sources: gas burner and electric heater.
Standards and guidelines
- OEM ageing procedures (Renault, Stellantis, VW, BMW, etc.)
- Euro 6 / Euro 7 standard ageing cycles
- SAE and CARB procedures for catalyst ageing
Why choose the Emitech Group for your component testing?
- Dedicated test benches with a thermal capacity of up to 1200°C at the burner outlet
- Two simultaneous test lines: double the testing capacity for intensive development programmes
- Integrated aerodynamic expertise: pre- and post-ageing characterisation within the same laboratory
- Compatible with e-fuels and new alternative fuels
Needs
Discover a selection of additional resources that explore topics related to this page including regulatory contexts, technical articles, and specific areas of expertise. These materials provide further insight to help you better understand the key challenges and available solutions.
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Would you like to characterise and accelerate the ageing of your after-treatment systems?
Please contact our team of experts.
