Three Way Catalytic Converter Research Paper

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THREE-WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER
A three-way catalytic converter is a device used to cause a desirable chemical reaction to take place in the exhaust flow. It is used mainly for conversion of exhaust gases considered unfriendly to a mixture of desirable gases considered environmental friendly.1 The by-products produced by the engine is not associated the performance of the engine, rather they are products expected from combustion of fuel. The system is place adjacently or in line with exhaust system and is used to cause a desirable conversion at a desirable efficiency.1 Exhaust gases one would expect from exhaust system:
Carbon monoxide.
• HC.
• NOx.
• O2.
An influence towards invention of a three-way catalytic converter:
A typical reaction that lead to ozone depletion:
O3(g) + A.(g) → O2(g) + AO(g) …(1)
AO(g) + …show more content…

There was an increasing demand for automobiles and the emission from them was of concern and needed a solution. In the late 20th century, there was a breakthrough in the investigation of treating these emissions. This included the invention of the three way catalytic converter.2
The first catalytic converter was engineered in the 1950s by Eugene Houndry. Full use of catalytic converters in cars began in 1975 when regulations where introduced on car emissions.9
Three-way catalytic converter construction
Two types of three-way catalytic converter given above operate similar, but the monolith design creates less exhaust backpressure, while giving away a plentiful surface area to effectively convert feed gases into desired ones considered environmental friendly.1 The construction consists of internal converter substrate coated with the following metals:
 Palladium which is an oxidising catalyst for HC and CO.
 Rhodium which performs as a reducing catalyst for NOx.
 Cerium that promotes oxygen storage to improve oxidation efficiency.

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