Why catalytic converters are installed in cars
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Explanation:
CAR CHEMISTRY: WHAT IS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Car Chemistry: What Is a Catalytic Converter and How Does It Work?
Sherry Boodram
23 July 2012
Chemical ReactionsCombustionEnvironmentAir QualityTransportationAutomotive SystemsStarting PointsRedox ReactionsAtoms & MoleculesCompoundsCatalysts
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Above: Image © Ahanix1989, Wikimedia Commons
Catalysts are compounds that can trigger a chemical reaction without being affected themselves. For example, enzymes are natural catalysts that control many important chemical reactions in living organisms. Catalysts are also used in automobiles to reduce emissions of certain harmful compounds.
Did you know? The first catalytic converter was developed around 1950 for use in smoke stacks. It was invented by the French engineer Eugene Houdry. However, widespread use of the catalytic converter in cars began only in 1975, when regulations restricting air pollution produced by automobiles were introduced.
For an automobile’s internal combustion engine to operate, a controlled combustion reaction needs to occur inside the vehicle’s engine. But this reaction also produces harmful burnt gases that contribute significantly to air pollution. And good air quality is very important for an individual’s overall health.
In order to reduce air pollution, modern automobiles are equipped with a device called a catalytic converter that reduces emissions of three harmful compounds found in car exhaust:
Carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas)
Nitrogen oxides (a cause of smog and acid rain)
Hydrocarbons (a cause of smog)
These are converted into less harmful compounds before leaving the car’s exhaust system. This is accomplished using a catalyst, which gives the device its name.
The catalyst used in a catalytic converter is a combination of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh). These metals coat a ceramic honeycomb (or ceramic beads) contained within a metal casing that is attached to the exhaust pipe. The catalytic converter’s honeycomb structure provides the maximum surface area on which reactions can take place while using the least amount of catalyst.
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