Patent ID: 8677739

Claim:
A system for treating exhaust gas generated by a spark-ignition engine, the system comprising: a. a hydrocarbon trap (HC Trap) comprising at least one hydrocarbon-absorbing molecular sieve and a sacrificial oxygen storage component (OSC), wherein said OSC is selected to lose at least a portion of its oxygen storage capacity at a temperature below the operational temperature of the hydrocarbon-absorbing material; b. a three-way catalyst (TWC); c. a flow-through conduit for directing the flow of exhaust gas, wherein said flow-through conduit is in fluid communication with the spark-ignition engine and the TWC; and d. a by-pass conduit having an entry port in fluid communication with the flow-through conduit and HC Trap, wherein said entry port is disposed upstream of the HC Trap and the TWC, and an egress port in fluid communication with the HC Trap and the flow-through conduit, wherein the egress port is disposed downstream of the HC Trap and upstream of the TWC.