The Litex patents currently issued and pending in the U.S. and overseas cover exhaust after-treatment technologies for diesel and gasoline (both conventional and DI) engines. These technologies entail the use of non-thermal plasma, ultra-violet (UV) sources and other means to generate radicals and other active species, such as O3, OH, and NO2, which are introduced into the intake or directly into the exhaust of combustion engines. The Litex technology substantially reduces tailpipe emissions from various types of IC engines by improving the performance and reducing the sensitivity to sulfur and other contaminants of devices such as 3-way catalysts, NOx traps, and particulate traps.

Litex's ongoing research and development over the past three years has resulted in a wide range of innovations which currently are the subject of seven issued United States Patents, corresponding issued or pending foreign counterparts, and additional pending US applications.

In operation, the respective inventions expose gaseous mixtures, intake mixture and/or exhaust, to energy sources such as non-thermal plasmas which induce changes in the chemical composition, such that highly reactive, radicals and other oxidizing and related species, are produced which help reduce the concentration of noxious constituents emitted into the atmosphere.

In particular, the mixture of gases inducted into, or produced as products of combustion from automotive engines, when exposed to electric discharge devices or UV lamps to generate these active species upstream of or in catalytic converters, can reduce pollutants such as unburned hydrocarbons, particulates, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides by one-half or more.(1) Hydroxyl radicals and other reactive radicals and oxidizing species generated during this process are highly effective for producing such improvements.(2)

Such radical species, whether created from corona discharge or UV energy or other means, are also effective to reduce or prevent poisoning of the catalytically active material of catalytic converters, by contaminants such as sulfur, phosphorous, or carbon.(3)

Also, the use of radicals and other active species that are introduced into pre- or post-combustion gas streams, upstream from large surface area catalytically active materials, enhance chemical reactions at active sites on these materials. This is another aspect of the technology that is applicable to any fuel combustion process whether from moving vehicles or stationary installations.(4)

Other developments, applications and refinements of Litex's technology are the subject of a number of pending patent applications and cannot be discussed in any detail at this time due to legal constraints. However, it is expected that, on issuance of patents from these applications, there will be a substantial expansion in the scope of intellectual property protection for the continually evolving and growing body of knowledge that Litex's R&D is uncovering.

NOTES
(1) US Patents No. 5,806,305 and 6,012,283
(2) US Patent No. 6,029,442
(3) US Patent No. 6,047,543
(4) US Patent No. 6,048,500

For information on licensing Litex technologies, please contact:

Dr. Eric Balles
Vice President of Technology Applications and Licensing
Phone: (617)876-0900
E-mail: eballes@litexcorp.com