Process and catalyst for the reduction of the ignition temperature of diesel soot filtered out of the exhaust gas of diesel engines

A process for the reduction of ignition temperature of Diesel soot filtered out of the exhaust gas of Diesel engines comprising passing the exhaust stream produced by a Diesel engine over a first and a second catalytically active substance, the first active substances being selected from the group consisting of lithium oxide, copper (I)-chloride, vanadium pentoxide with 1-30% by weight of an alkali metal oxide, a vanadate of lithium, sodium, potassium or cerium or admixtures thereof and the second active substance being noble metal, whereby both first and second catalytically active substances or their combinations with a carrier material are deposited on different areas of a temperature stable filter element serving as structural reinforcer, disposing said filter element in the flow cross section of the exhaust gas stream, said filter element being a monolithic ceramic body having two oppositely disposed end surfaces and numerous flow channels passing through it and having macroporous walls, the openings of the channels being provided at the opposite front surfaces with closing means in such a way that a channel is open on one end surface thereof and is closed on the opposite end surface thereof, the first catalytically active substance being applied in the area of the inlet side of the filter and the second catalytically active substance being applied in the area of the outlet side of the filter, both said active substances thus covering opposite sides of the area of each macroporous flow channel wall of the monolithic ceramic body.