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catalytic converter |
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catalytic converterDevice fitted to the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in order to reduce toxic emissions from the engine. It converts the harmful exhaust products that cause air pollution to relatively harmless ones. It does this by passing them over a mixture of catalysts coated on a metal or ceramic honeycomb (a structure that increases the surface area and therefore the amount of active catalyst with which the exhaust gases will come into contact). Oxidation catalysts (small amounts of palladium and platinum) convert hydrocarbons (unburnt fuel) and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and water, but do not affect nitrogen oxide emissions. Three-way catalysts (platinum and rhodium metals) also convert nitrogen oxide gases into nitrogen and oxygen.
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VALENCIA -- A group of thieves has a yen for certain kinds of metal, those found in the catalytic converters on the underbellies of Toyotas. Gasoline engines presently employ three-way catalytic converters that offer NOx reduction rates as high as 99%, but this performance is possible only at the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. Once an engine reaches its operating temperature, catalytic converters eliminate nearly all hydrocarbon emissions. |
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