Method for generating a highly reactive plasma for exhaust gas aftertreatment and enhanced catalyst reactivity

The present invention relates to exhaust gas remediation and in particular, a method and apparatus for enhancing the reactivity of the material catalysts found within catalytic converters of cars, trucks and power stations. A method for non-thermal plasma aftertreatment of exhaust gases the method comprising the steps of providing short risetime, high frequency, high power bursts of low-duty factor microwaves sufficient to generate a plasma discharge and passing a gas to be treated through the discharge so as to cause dissociative reduction of the exhaust gases and enhanced catalyst reactivity through application of the pulsed microwave fields directly to the catalyst material sufficient to cause a polarizability catastrophe and enhanced heating of the metal crystallite particles of the catalyst, and in the presence or absence of the plasma. The invention also includes a reactor for aftertreatment of exhaust gases.