Catalytic converters are engine exhaust emissions devices installed on vehicles to helping hand cut the levels of vehicle exhaust emissions. Similar in size and shape to a vehicle exhaust muffler, a catalytic converter is attached directly to a vehicle's exhaust system.
Significance
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emissions device installed on vehicle exhaust sytems in order to reduce the levels of engine exhaust emissions, most notably the levels of hydrocarbon emissions. Catalytic converters were first installed on American cars in 1976 in response to growing concerns about vehicle-generated air pollution.
Function
The main function of a catalytic converter is to reduce the amount of exhaust hydrocarbon emissions exiting a car's tail pipe. A catalytic converter is filled with a thin, porous material called catalyst, which is designed to react with and burn flowing engine exhaust gases, thereby re-burning these gases, which leads to a reduction in hydrocarbon emissions.
Catalytic converter use results in a marked decrease in vehicle exhaust hydrocarbon emissions, emissions that are created when gasoline is burned inside a vehicle's engine. Widespread catalytic converter use has significantly reduced the levels of vehicle exhaust emissions since converters became standard vehicle equipment in 1976.
A catalytic converter is bolted directly to a vehicle's exhaust system at a point roughly halfway between the vehicle exhaust manifold and the tail pipe. Located in close proximity to the vehicle muffler on a car's underside, the catalytic converter is normally installed at a point almost directly underneath the driver's side area of a car.
