IIT Jodhpur team develops low-cost, low-emission catalytic convertor using Rajasthani clay

A team from IIT Jodhpur’s chemistry department has developed a catalytic converter for cars using Rajasthani clay which will be cheaper and more effective in reducing pollution, a professor claimed on Monday. A catalytic converter is a device which is fitted to a vehicle’s exhaust to reduce the pollutants coming from it.

Rakesh K Sharma, an IIT Jodhpur professor who led the team, said the catalytic converter was developed by extracting Iron-Nickel-Cobalt nanoparticles from Rajasthani clay.

The clay acts as an oxygen reservoir and make the pollutants less harmful, he said. “The catalytic converters in use have expensive rare earth elements -- Palladium and Cerium -- in them and their life span is about 10 years against an approximate 15 year life of a four wheeler,” Sharma said. “We had three challenges -- reduction of temperature, replacement of Palladium and Cerium and redesigning the convertor --”, the professor said, adding that Rajasthani clay turned out to be a perfect solution.