Posted on 2/9/2021
You might be surprised to find that the most important part of your car was invented over 150 years ago and has not changed much over the years. Yes, the four-stroke internal combustion engine powering the large majority of the estimated 1.4 billion cars on the road today has been around since the mid 19th century. Even though the engine has remained virtually unchanged, there have been many devices added to automobiles to improve different aspects of performance. One of the devices contributing to improved emissions performance is the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is a large metal box located between the engine and the tailpipe of a car. It has an intake pipe connected to the engine and an output pipe connected to the exhaust system. The inside of the catalytic converter is a dense honeycomb of ceramic and is coated with catalysts. This catalyst covered honeycomb takes harmful gases like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon produced by the engine and splits the gases into s ... read more