What is the Function of a Car Catalytic Converter?
1 Answers
The function of a car catalytic converter is to transform harmful exhaust gases into harmless gases. The catalytic converter is installed in the vehicle's exhaust system as the most crucial external purification device. It converts harmful gases such as CO, HC, and NOx emitted from the vehicle's exhaust into harmless carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen through oxidation and reduction reactions. If the three-way catalytic converter is damaged, its secondary oxygen sensor will fail to provide accurate data to the engine control unit (ECU). This can result in either an excessively lean or rich air-fuel mixture. A lean mixture may cause ignition difficulties, poor driving performance, and engine backfiring, while a rich mixture can increase fuel consumption, lead to incomplete combustion, and cause severe carbon buildup in the cylinders and spark plugs. In such cases, the engine malfunction indicator light should illuminate. Working Principle of the Three-Way Catalytic Converter: When high-temperature exhaust gases pass through the purification device, the catalyst in the three-way catalytic converter enhances the activity of CO, HC, and NOx, promoting specific oxidation-reduction chemical reactions. CO is oxidized into colorless, non-toxic carbon dioxide gas at high temperatures, HC compounds are oxidized into water (H2O) and carbon dioxide, and NOx is reduced into nitrogen and oxygen. These three harmful gases are thus converted into harmless substances, effectively purifying the vehicle's exhaust emissions.
