Catalytic Converters

A CATALYTIC CONVERTER is a device that is designed to reduce dangerous emissions from combustion engines such as those used in automobiles. It works by enhancing the combustion of unburned hydrocarbons that would otherwise enter the atmosphere through the exhaust. The closed chamber of a catalytic converter is lined with a substrate of porous material through which the gas is forced [Page 227]to pass. This results in the chemical conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, the reduction of nitrogen oxide to its component nitrogen and oxygen, and the conversion of the unburned hydrocarbons to water and carbon dioxide. Releasing carbon dioxide into the air is not beneficial to the environment, but is preferable to the alternative. For example, catalytic converters are credited with having ...