A car catalytic converter is a special device installed in the exhaust system of a vehicle. They are necessary to reduce emissions of toxic components present in exhaust gases into the atmosphere, in particular:
- CO – carbon monoxide – a toxic and dangerous gas that is odorless and colorless, also called carbon monoxide;
- CH – a group of hydrocarbons that are volatile organic compounds that act as the main components of exhaust gases formed due to incomplete combustion of fuel;
- NO and NO2 – nitrogen oxides that lead to the formation of smog and acid rain.
Exhaust gases formed during the operation of internal combustion engines of vehicles are very harmful to the environment, so now many countries produce cars that are necessarily equipped with catalytic converters.
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What types of neutralizers are there?
You can consider how the two main types differ.
Ceramic
The ceramic base or carrier for this type of neutralizer is silicon carbide or extruded magnesium-aluminum silicate. Inside the housing there are thousands of hollow thin channels that are located in parallel. Each ceramic carrier contains approximately eight thousand such channels. The cross-section of the ceramic neutralizer is very similar to the honeycomb of bees, on top of which a coating of platinum group metals is applied.
The walls of the honeycombs have a thickness of no more than 0.1 mm. Before applying the spray, an intermediate layer of activator in the form of magnesium and aluminum oxides, as well as silicates, is applied to the surface, which increases the actual surface area up to several thousand times.
Ceramic neutralizers have a number of disadvantages:
- Short service life – about 100 thousand km of run, and with low-quality fuel – 70-80 thousand km.
- Sensitivity to mechanical impacts – cracks appear when struck or otherwise affected.
Water should not get on the part during movement, since with a sharp change in temperature, the ceramics deteriorates and becomes covered with cracks.
Metal
Steel resistant to corrosion is used for the production of metal ones, especially for the body. Only in this way can the component be fully protected from rust as a result of exposure to moisture, which is formed during the processing of toxic components into safe compounds. Since the outer part of the block is made of high-quality chromium-nickel steel, which is highly resistant to corrosion and the effects of acids, high temperatures, a system with such a filter lasts about 3-5 years.
Thin metal foil with a thickness of 0.05 mm is used to manufacture the insides of metal blocks. The entire structure of the block inside is similar to a honeycomb, which is then pressed into a metal pipe used as a carrier. Optimization of catalytic processes is achieved by adding metals to the foil material – hafnium and yttrium, which slightly increase the electrical conductivity and reliability of thin metal sheets. The foil sheets are connected to each other and to the carrier pipe by soldering. As in ceramic, metal blocks use spraying on the surface of the honeycomb with expensive catalytic metals, which cause catalysis reactions.
Despite the fact that the parts, both metal and ceramic, work on the same principles, the former have a set of advantages:
- Resistance to various mechanical impacts and vibrations accompanying the movement of the car;
- Minimal sensitivity to high temperatures (sometimes metal-based neutralizers can withstand temperatures up to 1600 degrees);
- Reduced fuel consumption;
- Minimal aerodynamic resistance, because the metal carrier has the thinnest walls;
- Extended service life (more than 150 thousand km of mileage).
The main disadvantage of metal neutralizers is that they are more expensive than ceramic ones, and their design is much more complex. Thus, the choice of a suitable option depends on the specific operating conditions of the car and the owner’s preferences.
