What is a Particulate Filter?
1 Answers
A particulate filter is a ceramic filter installed in the exhaust system of diesel engines that captures particulate emissions before they enter the atmosphere. It can reduce soot emissions from diesel engines by more than 90%, and the captured particulate matter is subsequently burned off during vehicle operation. Diesel engine pollution mainly comes from three sources—particulate emissions, hydrocarbons (HCx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur. Among these, particulate emissions (soot) are mostly composed of tiny carbon or carbide particles (smaller than 4-20μm). How a particulate filter works: The diesel particulate filter is coated with metals such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium. The black smoke containing carbon particles emitted by the diesel engine enters the exhaust particulate filter through a dedicated pipe. After passing through its densely arranged bag-type filter, the carbon soot particles are adsorbed onto the filter made of metal fiber felt. When the adsorbed particulate matter reaches a certain level, the burner at the end automatically ignites, burning off the carbon soot particles, which are then converted into harmless carbon dioxide and released. To check whether your vehicle has a particulate filter, you can use the following three methods: Check the Owner’s Maintenance Manual and Owner’s User Manual to see if they mention the particulate filter function. Additionally, carefully review the fault codes in the manual to check if there is a "Particulate Filter" warning light indicator. Check the label on the oil filler cap. If it clearly states the use of 0W-20 grade oil, it indicates the presence of a particulate filter. Look behind the catalytic converter to see if there is an additional cylindrical section on the exhaust pipe. If there is, that is the particulate filter.
