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The 'natural' way to slash diesel fumes

By Max Glaskin

29 September 2001

A CHEMICAL originally obtained from urine might be able to reduce emissions
of nitrogen oxides from diesel engines by up to 80 per cent. A diesel truck has
set off from a lab in the Netherlands to test the idea as it trundles around
Europe’s roads.

The catalytic converters used with petrol engines don’t work for diesels
because of the high concentrations of oxygen in the exhaust gas, say researchers
at the Dutch national laboratory TNO. But new European emissions regulations
coming into effect in 2005 demand heavy NOx reductions from diesels. So TNO,
Dutch truck maker DAF, and American…

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