GE Announces Breakthough Result on Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst Technology

NISKAYUNA, N.Y.--GE today announced a key milestone in the development of a proprietary silver-based Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst (HC-LNC) aftertreatment solution designed to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines. Through a joint development with GE, Tenneco Inc and Umicore (headquartered in Brussels, Belgium), researchers have demonstrated NOx conversions on an engine between 85-95% across a temperature window of 325-425C°, using E85 as the reductant.

“A significant amount of development work has gone into the HC-LNC technology over the past year and our efforts are starting to yield promising results with E85 as the reductant”

The HC-LNC system reduces NOx emissions as effectively as urea-based SCR systems and provides an option to those market segments seeking an alternative to urea-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology.

“These results are very exciting,�?? noted William Kernick, Vice President of Technology Ventures for GE. “E85 opens up a variety of diesel engine markets where a small on-board tank of readily available E85 will supply the reductant. This has real potential to provide a simple solution to meet the coming NOx regulations.�??

GE’s HC-LNC technology has been under development since 2001 at GE’s Global Research, the centralized research and development organization for all of GE. As previously announced, GE intends to commercialize the HC-LNC technology through out-licensing agreements executed through GE’s Technology Venture’s business.

Tenneco, an industry leader in emission control technology and systems integration, is currently in an exclusive period with GE to develop and commercialize aftertreatment systems containing GE’s proprietary HC-LNC catalyst for certain applications, including on-road and off-road vehicles, and is the first licensee of GE's HC LNC technology to manufacture such aftertreatment systems. Tenneco has contributed system integration expertise to the development of the Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst that it has gained from its extensive involvement in providing aftertreatment solutions to the transportation industry.

Umicore, who provides expertise in catalyst manufacturing and material science, has been granted a technology license for manufacturing the HC-LNC catalyst to supply aftertreatment system licensees.

“We are extremely pleased with the rapid progress made on developing this technology through the collaboration of all three companies,�?? said Tim Jackson, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Tenneco. “Tenneco provides a full suite of diesel aftertreatment solutions and this technology is emerging as an attractive alternative to traditional NOx abatement technologies, especially for applications where the addition of urea may not be practical.�??

“A significant amount of development work has gone into the HC-LNC technology over the past year and our efforts are starting to yield promising results with E85 as the reductant,�?? said Robert Goodnight, Director Heavy Duty Diesel North America, Umicore. “E85 is showing comparable NOx conversion rates as seen with urea-based SCR (selective catalytic reduction) systems. E85 has the ability to enhance NOx conversion performance beyond that of traditional HC-LNC technologies showing very promising potential for the future of NOx aftertreatment.�??

The three companies are currently collaborating on the production of fully integrated systems for markets ranging from class-8 line haul trucks (>250 hp) to small tractors and forklifts (< 100hp), and are on track to deliver commercial aftertreatment systems in 2011 that are highly effective at reducing NOx using either diesel fuel and/or E85 as the reductant.

About GE

GE is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.

GE’s Technology Ventures group, a component of Corporate Finance, drives the technology commercialization and business development of licensing portfolios for GE. With close ties to GE’s Global Research, Technology Ventures supports the protection, development and marketing of GE’s Intellectual Property on a global level, offering a dynamic combination of investing, licensing, industry and technical expertise.

About Tenneco

Tenneco is a $4.6 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 21,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive original equipment market and the aftermarket. Tenneco markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker®, Gillet™ and Clevite®Elastomer brand names. Tenneco’s global emissions operations include 48 emission control manufacturing facilities and four global engineering centers devoted to emission control engineering and advanced technology. The company’s engineering capabilities and broad range of emission control products and systems help vehicle manufacturers address increasingly stringent emissions and noise regulations, the drive for better fuel efficiency and the emission control demands of diesel and other alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles.

About Umicore

Umicore is a materials technology group. Its activities are centered on four business areas: Advanced Materials, Precious Metals Products and Catalysts, Precious Metals Services and Zinc Specialties. Each business area is divided into market-focused business units, be it in products that are essential to everyday life or those at the cutting edge of new technological developments.

Umicore focuses on application areas where it knows its expertise in materials science, chemistry and metallurgy can make a real difference. Umicore generates approximately 50 % of its revenues and spends approximately 80 % of its R&D budget in the area of clean technology, such as emission control catalysts, materials for rechargeable batteries and photovoltaics, fuel cells, and precious metals recycling. Umicore’s overriding goal of sustainable value creation is based on this ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials in a way that fulfils its mission: materials for a better life.

The Umicore Group has industrial operations on all continents and serves a global customer base; it generated a turnover of €6.9 billion (€ 1.7 billion excluding metal) in 2009 and currently employs some 13,700 people.