What is a catalytic converter and how does it function?
Catalysts are substances that, when added, initiate a chemical reaction between other substances or have an (accelerating, slowing, directing) influence on them without changing themselves. In the mineral oil industry, solid catalysts are mostly used, such as cobalt, molybdenum, platinum, nickel, barium, etc., which are often connected to a catalyst medium. As a general rule, there are one-, two-, and three-way catalytic converters for personal cars with petrol engines. Together with lambda probe and a control unit (according to operating conditions), they are part of the exhaust system and supposed to transform pollutant exhaust fumes (such as hydrocarbons CH, nitric oxides NO, and carbon monoxide CO) into quite harmless gases (water vapour H2O, carbon dioxide CO2, and nitrogen N).
