Catalytic Converter: Description and Operation

- The basic material of three-way catalyst is platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh) and paladium (Pd), and a thin coat of their mixture is applied onto honeycomb or porous ceramics of an oval shape (carrier). To avoid damaging the catalyst, only unleaded gasoline should be used.
- The catalyst is used to reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust gases, and permits simultaneous oxidation and reduction. To obtain an excellent purification efficiency on all components HO, CO and NOx, a balance should be kept among the concentrations of the components. These concentrations vary with the air-fuel ratio.
- The air-fuel ratio needs to be controlled to a value within the very narrow range covering around the stoichiometric mixture ratio to purify the components efficiently.