Method for producing a catalytic element

The method of manufacturing a catalytic element for a diesel engine particulate reactor, comprising the steps of:

• providing a flat wire;
• braiding the flat wire into a sheet of fabric;
• forming angled ridges in the sheet;
• laying one sheet on top of another forming a two-layer sheet with said angled ridges running at an angle to each other so that any one pleat between the ridges of one sheet does not nest with any pleat of the other sheet;
• spooling the two-layer sheet into a cylinder to form a catalytic body;
• applying solder material to the catalytic body;
• axially compressing the catalytic body to a lesser longitudinal dimension;
• applying heat to fuse the wires of the catalytic body;
• applying a precious metal catalytic coating to the fused catalytic body;
• and
• applying heat to bond the precious metal to the catalytic body.

The method of producing a catalytic element for conditioning the exhaust of an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

• providing a flat wire;
• braiding the flat wire into a sheet of fabric;
• forming angled ridges in the sheet;
• laying one sheet on top of another forming a two-layer sheet with said angled ridges running at an angle to each other so that any one pleat between the ridges of one sheet does not nest with any pleat of the other sheet;
• spooling the two-layer sheet into a cylinder to form a catalytic body;
• compressing said cylindrical substrate axially to significantly reduce its volume and to achieve a desired density or volume;
• stopping the compression of said cylindrical substrate when a desired substrate density or volume is and applying a precious metal catalytic coating to the catalytic body.