BLOGS AND NEWS RELEASES

Reducing Platinum Use Through Advanced Catalyst Design

CDTi -
December 3, 2025

Chemistry in industrial emission systems relies heavily on platinum group metals (PGMs) such as platinum, palladium and rhodium. These metals are essential in Diesel Oxidation Catalysts, Methane Oxidation Catalysts and three-way catalysts, converting harmful exhaust gases into less harmful products. Yet volatility in the pricing and supply of these metals creates real cost and operational risks for system manufacturers and operators.

According to industry data, platinum markets are projected to remain in deficit in 2025 with palladium moving back toward balance while rhodium is expected to remain tight. The sharing of risk between material cost and performance is a growing concern for emission system design.

CDTi’s Low-PGM Coating Approach

CDTi Advanced Materials has developed coating for various substrate technologies that use engineered base metals alongside reduced PGM content to enhance catalytic performance while lessening dependence on high-cost PGMs. By optimizing washcoat chemistry and PGM interactions, CDTi’s approach is designed to maintain lasting conversion efficiency with lower cost.

The CDTi product catalog includes custom-coated catalyst elements across oxidation catalyst, diesel particulate filter (DPF) and three-way catalyst systems. Our fuel-borne catalyst portfolio, which includes PatFluid CV for the UK commercial-vehicle market, complements this coating strategy by supporting regeneration and soot management in DPF systems.

By reducing the volume of platinum, palladium and rhodium required, and by improving how the catalysts are utilized, operators and OEMs gain better control over system costs and material supply-chain risk.

Application-Focus in the Field

CDTi’s technologies are applied in heavy-duty and stationary power generation equipment, maritime, mining and construction engines, and on-/off‐highway diesel systems. In such environments the durability of coating, substrate robustness under thermal stress, and regenerative performance matter greatly.

CDTi’s material science focuses on performance, durability and system integration, supporting the requirements of these demanding applications.

Why It Matters Now

With tighter emission regulations and rising uptime expectations, reducing reliance on expensive precious group metals serves more than cost savings, it addresses supply risk and long-term system viability. The PGM market remains volatile, and operators who design around that volatility gain an advantage.

CDTi’s low-PGM approach provides a practical, field-proven route to emission control system stability, linking materials optimization with industrial performance and cost efficiency.

By leveraging materials expertise and proven field use, CDTi continues to deliver emission-control technologies that align with both technical and economic priorities—offering operators and OEMs a smarter path to system design and performance.