BUFFALO, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unifrax, the leading manufacturer of high-performance specialty materials, today introduced a new, nano-structured alumina catalyst support technology for the transportation market – Eco-lytic™ by Unifrax. Housed within a vehicle’s catalytic converter, the Eco-lytic catalyst support fiber is designed to replace the existing catalytic converter or add to existing systems in order to enhance emission reduction, consume fewer precious metals and raw materials, and drive lower energy usage through vehicle weight reduction. The solution is designed to help prolong a cleaner engine life and enable vehicle manufacturers to meet increasingly stringent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards and regulations, while providing considerable cost savings as the market transitions to electric vehicles (EVs).
Eco-lytic is currently in advanced testing with several global automakers. Preliminary results suggest the solution can reduce the mass of catalyst support media by up to 80 percent and lower platinum group metal loading by up to 40 percent compared to traditional systems. This results in increased efficiency due to faster light-off of catalytic performance. Unifrax will have commercial production capability on-line in late 2021.
“The transportation industry is going through an incredible transformation – vehicle manufacturers and regulators are focusing efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. This transition will not happen overnight, and the industry is in desperate need of nearer-term solutions to help bridge the sector’s transition to a greener footprint. Eco-lytic is that solution and the step change we need today,” said Chad Cannan, Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Unifrax. “Eco-lytic is poised to be a game changer for any conventional engine, large or small, mobile or stationary. Our product is designed to enhance emissions reductions, reduce the need for precious raw materials, extend cleaner engine lives and help drive a more sustainable carbon footprint through vehicle weight reduction.”
Eco-lytic’s flexible structure not only offers efficiency and cost savings benefits, it also provides transportation industry partners and manufacturers with unique packaging options. Unifrax has the ability to tailor the Eco-lytic product to meet the needs of individual partners through custom shapes and sizes to fit into locations where existing technologies cannot.
“Unifrax continues to pursue its mission to make the world a greener, cleaner, and safer place. We have been working to support the industry’s transition to EVs through a robust battery and technology solution portfolio that includes: our recently announced proprietary anode technology SiFab™, which drives significantly higher energy density in lithium ion batteries, our AGM separator materials, our large format lithium ion glass separators, our interstitial thermal runaway barriers, our battery compartment fire protection systems and now Eco-lytic,” said John Dandolph, President and CEO, Unifrax. “Eco-lytic provides an exciting bridge to reduce catalytic converter weights and costs, reduce the use of precious metals and raw materials, and minimize the environmental impact of conventional engines as the industry transitions to EVs. As such, Eco-lytic is a unique and proprietary solution which opens the door to a new age of emission control aligned with our mission at Unifrax.”
Building on Unifrax’s deep history of fiber-based technology and manufacturing, Eco-lytic is Unifrax’s first step into catalytic support. Unifrax, the inventor of specialty ceramic fibers, has a track record of 75+ years of developing and supplying engineered inorganic materials on a large scale to advanced industries worldwide, including electric vehicles, aerospace, and chemical processing.
Unifrax will be available during SAE’s WCX Digital Summit, April 13–15, 2021, to discuss the Eco-lytic technology with interested attendees. For more information on Eco-lytic, visit www.unifrax.com.
About Unifrax
Unifrax develops and manufactures high performance specialty materials used in advanced applications including high-temperature industrial insulation, electric vehicles, energy storage, filtration, and fire protection, among many others. Unifrax products are designed with the ultimate goal of saving energy, reducing pollution, and improving safety for people, buildings and equipment by delivering on our commitment to our customers of greener, cleaner, safer solutions for their application challenges. Unifrax has 37 manufacturing facilities operating in 12 countries and employs 2,700+ employees globally. More information is available at www.unifrax.com. For updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
About Clearlake
Founded in 2006, Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are industrials, technology, and consumer. Clearlake currently has approximately $35 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 300 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap.
