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Twenty-three hydrocarbon components were analysed in the exhaust emissions from a 2.3 litre gasoline engine. The effect of a three-way catalyst on emission rates was investigated, as was the effect of addition to fuel of specific aromatic and olefinic compounds. The addition of 1-hexene and 1-octene (olefins) caused statistically significant increases in reactive olefins - ethene and propene - in the exhaust. The addition of benzene and toluene led to increases in these compounds in the exhaust, and indicated that whilst fuel-toluene is the main source of toluene emissions, the emission of benzene has sources in addition to fuel-benzene. A three-way catalyst, when operating at > 600°C, eliminated most hydrocarbons except methane and traces of the light aromatics. At idle, however, the catalyst exhibited substantial selectivity towards different hydrocarbons according to their ease-of-oxidation.

After-treatment systems (ATS) consisting of new catalyst technologies and particulate filters will be necessary to meet increasingly stringent global regulations limiting particulate matter (PM) and NOx emissions from heavy duty and light duty diesel vehicles. Fuels and lubes contain elements such as sulfur, phosphorus and ash-forming metals that can adversely impact the efficiency and durability of these systems. Investigations of the impact of lubricant formulation on the transfer of ash-forming elements to diesel particulate filters (DPF) and transfer of sulfur to NOx storage catalysts were conducted using passenger car diesel engine technology. It was observed that for ATS configurations with catalyst(s) upstream of the DPF, transfer of ash-forming elements to the DPF was significantly lower than expected on the basis of oil consumption and lube composition. Sulfur transfer strongly correlated with oil consumption and lubricant sulfur content.