Mazda cuts precious metal usage by 70 per cent
January 8, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Mazda has today announced the world’s first market application of single-nanocatalyst technology in automobile catalytic converters.
This highly durable new catalyst significantly reduces the amount of precious metals used and effectively purifies vehicle exhaust gases. It will first be introduced in the all-new Mazda3 (pictured above) which will goes on sale this year.
With the single-nanocatalyst, the underfloor catalytic converter in the all-new Mazda3 requires only 0.15g/L of precious metals, approximately 70 per cent less than the 0.55g/L required in the previous model. Along with the substantial reduction in precious metal usage, the Mazda3 continues to qualify as a Super Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (SU-LEV) in Japan by achieving exhaust emissions that are at least 75 per cent cleaner than the government’s 2005 regulations.
Automotive catalysts consist of a base material coated with precious metal particles. These metals promote chemical reactions that purify exhaust gases. In conventional catalysts, exposure to hot exhaust gases causes the precious metal particles to agglomerate into larger clumps, which reduces their effective surface area and catalytic activity. To counteract this, an increased amount of the precious metals is required to maintain an efficient purification performance.
Mazda developed the single-nanocatalyst to increase the effective surface area of the precious metals used. By developing a method of controlling precious metal particles that are less than five nanometers (nm) in diameter as well as a proprietary catalyst material structure, Mazda created the world’s first catalyst that features single-nanosized precious metal particles embedded in fixed positions.
As a result, there is no agglomeration of the particles and the amount of rare metals used can be significantly reduced. Moreover, the new catalyst material will enable very efficient purification with minimal deterioration over time even under the harshest operating conditions.
Going forward, Mazda will progressively introduce the single-nanocatalyst to all its global markets, which will contribute to a reduction in the consumption of rare metals and cleaner vehicle exhaust emissions.
Print it: 
Mazda makes Toyota look lazy.
Adam…
I work in the industry and not production… design and engineering.
Companies only really “push the envelope” when they need to.
Mazda was in trouble a few years back, they gathered and invested a lot to turn it around… sleek styling and features… to be competitive and it paid off.
Toyota? They have no need to spend extra on styling nor features to stay competitive…. THEY ARE the leaders in
sales globally.
When Mazda… Nissan… Honda overtakes Toyota… then and only then will they re-structure their market approach…. spend extra on making their cars “prettier” to get market share back.
At the moment Toyota is happy to be “on par”… meaning doing the minimum in terms of style and performance… because they dont have to…. ya get?
I understand what you are saying Lukass, but as Adam stated it just shows the laziness of Toyota, “we don’t have to try harder, because we don’t need to at the moment”. Its unfortunate that Mazda doesn’t have a bigger force in the global market.
wonder how long it takes for some patent-infringing copies to be made by other manufactorers.if its cheaper,and cleaner…
Mazda actually being green by REDUCING the amount of precious metals and raw materials they use!
Not like toyota using MORE raw materials to build big, expensive, heavy batteries then shoving it into a wheezing, ugly little pusbox and calling themselves green.
Lukaas,
lol
Ya, i get…
I suppose Toyota had that attitude 20 years perhaps?
Toyota didn’t gain global sales leadershgip by having that attitude!
I replied with a link but i’m waiting on ‘moderation’ the link i was trying to post shows that Ford in the US have caight up and is exceeding Toyota’s reliability surveys.
Topyota only just pipped GM in the last year or two for global sales.
There simply is no reason why Toyota being the richest and now the biggest auto company globally can’t produce and sell class leading vehicle in every segment…
Being ‘on par’ is no valid excuse…
ya get?
I disagree with those saying Toyota is lazy or dont need to much because they are leading the sales. I think toyota makes their cars they way they are is because their customers prefer it that way. Toyota brand in many ways appeals to the consevative market, therefore their cars reflect that. Their kaizen approach means that they continuosly improve, but it doesn’t mean that they will change their basic approach to design and styling (ie making boring cars look more boring) LoL.
There was also an article a couple of years back in Wheels magazine which was telling the story of how Toyota globally was very aware of the need to start injecting more interesting styling in thier bread and butter vehicles in order to maintain the leadership they were then building.
Toyota admitted that they had production, engineering well sorted and that styling would need to improve, handling dynamics and cut in/out of systems such as dynamic stability control also needs to be fined tuned also.
Take a look at Toyota current lineup and styling is slowly inproving, but they still don’t have overall class leading vehicles.
Ever wonder why toyota is having trouble cracking the european market?
1. handling
2. styling
Wow, before seeing this picture I never realised how much the new Mazda 3 looks like a Subaru Impreza from the side profile. Eeeeek!
Phillip, WTF?
I think Mazda are beginning to go somewhere. They are paring the pounds off the weight of their cars for both costs savings and performance. Way to go methinks.
falcodore,
Agreed!