Name: Sarah Nur Nabila bt Mohd Shazali

Class: AS2292A (2019468284)

Title assignment: Discuss the use of catalytic converter in vehicle

The catalytic converter is a mechanical device. It reduces the harmful emissions

created in the exhaust system of an engine. It is an important device as it works with the
harmful gases, which the engine creates during combustion of fuel. The main purpose of a
catalytic converter is to reduce exhaust emissions. The catalytic converter reduces the
harmful exhaust gases through chemical reactions. It reacts with the harmful pollutants in
the exhaust gases and turns them into lesser harmful gases. The catalytic converter consists
of a most common catalyst. Inside the converter, the gases flow through a dense
honeycomb structure made from a ceramic and coated with the catalysts. It is coated with
precious metals such as platinum and rhodium. The honeycomb structure means the gases
touch a bigger area of catalyst at once, so they are converted more quickly and efficiently.
These metals react with the engine’s exhaust gases. They reduce the toxic contents of the
gases and turn them into carbon dioxide and water.
So, inside the converter, it accomplishes the reaction of conversion of Nitric Oxide to
original reactants. The platinum-rhodium catalysts tackle nitrogen oxide pollution using a
chemical process called reduction. This breaks up nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and oxygen
gases. Secondly, the converter accomplishes the conversion by an opposite chemical
process called oxidation and turns carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Another oxidation
reaction turns unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust into carbon dioxide and water.
There are three different types of catalytic converters. The first type is the oxidation
catalyst. It reduces harmful pollutants such as the carbon monoxide (CO) and fuel
hydrocarbons (HC) in the exhaust. Simultaneously, it often uses a secondary air injection.
However, the oxidation catalyst only reduces a portion of the pollutants. The second type is
the dual-bed catalytic-converter which offers more perfection. It works in two stages. There
are two elements which are situated one behind the other. The first stage helps in reducing
the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions. The second stage reacts with the hydrocarbons
created by unburned fuel and carbon mono oxide. The last type is the Three Way Catalytic
Converter. The Three-way catalyst helps in converting the harmful gases exhausted from the
engine into harmless gases. The engine exhaust gases contain hazardous substances that
cause damage to the environment. These include the oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and
carbon monoxide. The three-way catalyst converts them into less harmful carbon dioxide,
water, and nitrogen.