An object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to suppress poisoning due to phosphorus derived from engine oil, and effectively purify NOx discharged from the time of engine start up to a high load condition. In an exhaust gas purification catalyst for an internal combustion engine, a catalyst layer includes: a first catalyst layer exposed to an exhaust gas flow; and a second catalyst layer formed between the first catalyst layer and the substrate. A second catalyst upstream layer formed on an upstream side of the second catalyst layer with respect to the exhaust gas flow and a first catalyst downstream layer formed on a downstream side of the first catalyst layer with respect to the exhaust gas flow include at least one of palladium and platinum, as well as an oxygen storage material as the catalyst component. An amount of the oxygen storage material in the first catalyst downstream layer is larger than an amount of the oxygen storage material in the second catalyst upstream layer.

An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, the exhaust system comprising, a lean NO.sub.x trap, and a wall flow monolithic substrate having a pre-coated porosity of 40% or greater, and comprising an oxidation catalytic zone, the oxidation catalytic zone comprising a platinum group metal loaded on a first support, the first support comprising at least one inorganic oxide and a zinc compound.

Provided is an electrically heated catalytic converter including at least a conductive substrate and an electrode member that is fixed to the substrate, in which a protective film is formed on a surface of at least a portion of the electrode member. In the electrically heated catalytic converter, at least a portion of the protective film is formed of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, or a composite oxide including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, or a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 as a major component, the protective film has an amorphous structure or a partially crystalline glass structure having a crystallization rate of 30 vol % or lower with respect to the entire portion of the protective film, and a thickness of the protective film is in a range of 100 nm to 2 μm.

Phosphorus tolerant or resistant three-way catalysts (TWC) are disclosed. The TWC may include a substrate defining a plurality of channels. It may include front and rear washcoat portions overlying the substrate and having respective first and second washcoat loadings, the first washcoat loading being at most 2.0 g/in.sup.3 and less than the second washcoat loading. The front washcoat portion may include a catalyst material supported on a support material comprising a cerium oxide, such as ceria or CZO, or a pre-phosphated material, such as AlPO.sub.4, or CePO.sub.4. In one embodiment, the support material may comprise at least 85 wt. % of a cerium oxide or at least 85 wt. % of a phosphate-containing material. The front portion and the underlying substrate may comprise from 3 to 25 vol. % of the three-way catalyst or the front portion may overly up to an initial 15% of an axial length of the substrate.

The presently claimed invention provides a layered three-way catalyst composition for purification of exhaust gases from internal combustion engines; said catalyst comprises a first layer comprising i) palladium supported on at least one alumina component and at least one oxygen storage component; and ii) barium oxide; wherein said first layer is essentially free of strontium, and a second layer comprising: i) rhodium supported on at least one zirconia component and/or alumina component; ii) strontium oxide and/or barium oxide; and iii) optionally, palladium supported on at least one alumina component. The presently claimed invention also provides a process for preparing the layered three-way catalyst composition which involves a technique such as incipient wetness impregnation technique(A); co-precipitation technique (B); or co-impregnation technique(C). The process includes preparing a first layer; preparing a second layer; and depositing the second layer on the first layer followed by calcination. The presently claimed invention further provides a a layered three-way catalytic article in which the three-way catalyst composition is deposited on a substrate in a layered fashion and its preparation.

An exhaust gas purification catalyst that has an excellent exhaust gas purification performance while suppressing pressure loss increases. The exhaust gas purification catalyst is provided with a substrate having a wall-flow structure and having a partition; a first catalyst layer formed, in a region of an interior part of the partition that is in contact with an entrance cell, along the extending direction of the partition from an exhaust gas inflow-side end for less than the total length L.sub.w of the partition; and a second catalyst layer formed, in a region of an interior part of the partition that is in contact with an exit cell, along the extending direction of the partition from the exhaust gas outflow-side end for less than the total length L.sub.w of the partition. The first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer are configured to partially overlap with each other in the extending direction.

The exhaust gas purification device is provided with a wall flow structure substrate that has an entry-side cell, an exit-side cell and a porous partition, first catalyst parts which are formed in small pores having a relatively small pore diameter among internal pores in the partition, and second catalyst parts which are formed in large pores having a relatively large pore diameter among the internal pores in the partition. The first catalyst parts and the second catalyst parts each contain a carrier and at least one type of noble metal from among Pt, Pd and Rh supported on the carrier. The noble metal content in the first catalyst parts is smaller than the noble metal content in the second catalyst parts per 1 liter of substrate volume.

An exhaust gas purification catalyst having an excellent exhaust gas purification ability while reducing the increase in pressure loss. Exhaust gas purification catalyst includes entrance cell, exit cell, and a wall-flow substrate having partition wall to separate these cell, a catalytic layer formed from exhaust inlet-side ends in the extending direction in sections of the interior of partition wall facing entrance cell, and a catalytic layer formed on the surface of partition wall facing exit cell from exhaust outlet-side ends in the extending direction of partition wall, having a length shorter than the entire partition wall length.

An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas purification catalyst for purifying exhaust gas, in particular, fine composite-metal particles contained therein, and a method for producing the same; the exhaust gas purification catalyst according to the present invention includes fine composite-metal particles containing Rh and Pd, wherein, when the fine composite-metal particles in the exhaust gas purification catalyst are analyzed by STEM-EDX, the average ratio of the amount of Pd with respect to the total amount of Rh and Pd in the fine composite-metal particles is 1.7 atomic % or more and 24.8 atomic % or less.

Provided is an exhaust gas purification catalyst in which the performance of a catalyst metal can be brought out properly, the purification catalyst boasting excellent purification performance during warm-up of an internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas purification catalyst 10 is provided with a substrate 1 and a catalyst layer. A leading end section 1a positioned upstream in the direction of exhaust gas flow (arrow) has a portion in which the flow rate of exhaust gas is relatively high and a portion in which the flow rate of exhaust gas is relatively low during warm-up of the internal combustion engine. The catalyst, layer in the portion of relatively high flow rate of exhaust gas has a high density section 6 in which a noble metal, is supported at relatively high density. The high density section 6 is formed to be shorter than the total length of the exhaust gas purification catalyst 10 from the leading end section 1a in the direction of exhaust gas flow.