All internal combustion piston engines emit solid nanoparticles. Some are soot particles resulting from incomplete combustion of fuels, or lube oil. Some particles are metal compounds, most probably metal oxides. A major source of metal compound particles is engine abrasion. The lube oil transports these abraded particles into the combustion zone. There they are partially vaporized and ultrafine oxide particles formed through nucleation [
Substantial information is available on diesel engine particulate emissions [
Four SI engines were investigated: two older and two newer engines, comprising two car engines and two motorbikes. The tests were done on standard transient driving cycles, and steady-state at constant 50 km/h and idling. Prior investigations observed, especially during idling, high concentrations of metal oxide particles [
The results show that the older SI engines emit high concentrations of soot particles and metal oxide (= ash) particles. The size distribution is decisively bimodal for both soot and ash particles.
The newer engines' emission results are less uniform and the concentrations lower, as expected. Altogether, the concentrations of these metal oxide particles are so high, that more detailed investigations are recommended.
PresenterJohn J. Mooney, EETPI
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