Catalytic
Converter
A
catalytic converter is an emissions control device that is
part of the exhaust system of most automobiles. Among the
environmentally harmful gases leaving a car’s engine are carbon
monoxide, nitrous oxide, and unburned hydrocarbons. When the
exhaust stream is passed through the catalytic converter,
various chemical reactions (involving both oxidation and reduction)
take place which turn these harmful components into water,
carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen. Inside the converter
is a catalyst, i.e., a substance that accelerates a chemical
reaction without itself being changed. The catalyst most commonly
used is platinum powder. This is very thinly coated onto a
core, which on modern vehicles usually consists of a ceramic
honeycomb.
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