What elements are in a car's three-way catalytic converter?

[Roxanne]

Automotive three-way catalytic converters contain precious metal elements such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium. The "three-way" in the catalytic converter refers to the three rare precious metal elements contained in the catalyst coating: platinum, rhodium, and palladium. In the exhaust purification process, platinum and palladium primarily catalyze carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, while rhodium mainly catalyzes nitrogen oxides. When high-temperature automotive exhaust passes through the purification device, the purifying agents in the three-way catalytic converter enhance the activity of CO, hydrocarbons, and NOx gases, promoting certain oxidation-reduction chemical reactions. In this process, CO oxidizes at high temperatures to form colorless, non-toxic carbon dioxide gas; hydrocarbons oxidize at high temperatures into water and carbon dioxide; and NOx is reduced to nitrogen and oxygen.