Abstract
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) technology depends on porous ceramic structures that trap the particulate matter in the diesel engine exhaust gas stream. The design of DPFs requires balancing the functional requirement of soot filtration with the mechanical properties and both are influenced by the porosity of the substrate. In addition, increasing the porosity of the substrate can assist with the catalytic washcoating, engine back pressure and engine efficiency. The effect of porosity on the elastic and fracture mechanical properties of cordierite based ceramic particulate filters was examined and will be described. Elastic modulus of DPF substrates was determined using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy while fracture toughness was characterized using the double-torsion test method. The interrelationships among specimen thickness, wall orientation, porosity and mechanical properties of the filter substrates will be discussed. A materials selection procedure to obtain filters with high thermal shock resistance and optimal mechanical properties will be described.
