Good As Gold

There's a new kid on the block in the automotive catalyst field, and it is bringing a new concept it says is as good — and inexpensive — as gold.

Nanostellar Inc., an October 2003 startup, says it has developed new oxidation-catalyst technology that mixes gold with platinum and palladium to improve efficiency, reducing the amount of costly precious metals needed.

Platinum currently sells for about $1,240 per ounce (28 g), so substituting the cheaper gold — about half the price at $660 — can represent serious savings. The auto industry used more than $4 billion in platinum in 2006, Nanostellar says, and that is projected to grow 50% by 2010.

Nanostellar's NS Gold technology is aimed at light- and heavy-duty diesel engines and can cut noxious emissions 15%-20% from the levels the company says it achieves with its platinum/palladium catalyst. Nanostellar claims its platinum/palladium catalyst already is 25%-30% more efficient than similar products currently on the market.

With the NS Gold catalyst, platinum savings range from 25%-40%, depending on the application, says Nanostellar's David Aslin, a member of the board and investor in the firm since 2004. “Compared with a pure platinum catalyst, the savings would be 40%,” he tells Ward's.

The use of gold as a catalyst isn't new, Aslin points out. But the Nanostellar technology marks the first successful application for automotive diesel engines, he says.

“Gold is difficult to apply,” Aslin says. “It's the nanotechnology that allows us to do that.” The key, he says, is in controlling the growth of the nano-scale particles so they remain within their defined size range even in harsh environments.

That allows Nanostellar to match the performance of other catalysts while using lower amounts of precious metals or boost the performance of the catalyst to meet tougher emissions requirements.

Nanostellar derives its revenues from the automotive aftermarket while awaiting its first OE contract. It is on the verge of landing two such supply deals, Aslin says.

One program, to be finalized this year, involves a running change on a European light-duty vehicle for 2008. Nanostellar also is zeroing in on a 2009-2010 vehicle program with a U.S. auto maker.

Both of those projects involve Nanostellar's existing platinum-palladium catalysts, not the new NS Gold.