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The need for a truck exhaust filter has been around since the first person at a traffic light, who was behind a diesel powered truck, had to breathe the black soot that emanated from the tail pipe as it left from the stop. The biggest problem was no one wanted to hurt the efficiency of the engine in order to curb the amount of emissions that were being generated.

There have been technological advances since the early days of the diesel powered trucks, and their black smoke billowing from the tail pipes is no longer a requirement for a smooth running engine. This new technology has developed the diesel particulate filter (DPF).

The DPF not only traps from 80% to 100% of the soot and other particulate matter from reaching the exhyaust pipe, but it also does not hinder the performance of the engine. In some of the older models that are retrofitted with this device, they actually have an improvement on their performance.

The DPF comes in two varieties. There is the disposable kind that needs to be replaced periodically and the self-cleaning type. Both have a honeycomb interior that traps the particulates from escaping while allowing for the gases to flow freely through the device.

The self-cleaning type uses a catalyst that is a passive re-generator to reduce the harmful particulates to a less toxic substance that is periodically removed from the chamber in which it is trapped. For most trucks that pull an 8-hour day, this periodical cleaning takes place twice a year.

Because the need for this technology is with both the older and new diesel powered vehicles, the DPF is constructed to be retrofitted into existing exhaust systems, so it can be used by nearly any make and model that are on the road.

The need for a truck exhaust filter is still present, but today we live in a time where the DPF is available for those that wish to help keep the air we breathe cleaner.

Related articles

• Diesel Truck Exhaust (epaemissions.com)
• Your Diesel Emmission Filter (epaemissions.com)
• How Does DPF Work in Trucks (epaemissions.com)