Which Device Helps Clean Car Exhaust? – Catalytic Converters

Written by

Bruce Sonnier

FACT-CHECKED BY

Marcus Dutton

which device helps clean car exhaust

Automobile pollution is a serious problem that causes harm to everything around it.

The chemical emissions from a car, for instance, can result in air pollution and human health can be at risk. But in this day and age, there is a solution that can convert these harmful substances into less toxic ones.

No need to scour the internet looking for which device helps clean car exhaust! Your problems with pollution would be decreased by using catalytic converters on cars.

How Do Catalytic Converters Work?

automobile-polution

Automobile exhaust, as we all know, is part of your car engine’s waste that is released in the form of gas.

The cycle of creating and releasing the gas can be harmful, due to the toxic by-products from the combustion process. Some of the harmful substances that your car exhaust releases are carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides.

But apart from them, the most dangerous and poisonous gas that car engines release is carbon monoxide. If exposed to it for too long, you can even get carbon monoxide poisoning that can suffocate you or your passengers!

This is where catalytic converters come in. These devices are installed on cars to help clean car exhaust system gasses coming out of the tailpipe. They operate via oxidation and are designed to reduce hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by over 98%.

Catalytic converters utilize elements such as platinum or palladium to facilitate redox. They have the ability to convert carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) into less harmful forms like carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Although there are many converter types, the two most commonly used nowadays are:

  • Two-way Catalytic Converter – Designed to turn carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and simple hydrocarbons, which are less harmful to the environment.
  • Three-way Catalytic Converter – Uses a combination of three metals (rhodium, palladium, and platinum) and converts harmful substances like nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (these two combined can create nitrogen oxide) into less harmful chemical compounds like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water.

Despite the fact that carbon dioxide is one of the leading causes of global warming, a catalytic converter is still one of the best exhaust cleaners that are widely used.

They may be found on all types of cars, from luxury models like Mercedes-Benz and BMW to economy cars like Ford Focuses and Honda Civics.

They are also used on trucks and buses that have diesel engines, such as those found in school buses and garbage trucks.

What Device Controls Particulate Pollutants?

There is a filter called an electrostatic precipitator that is responsible for removing soot from car exhaust fumes before they exit the gas pipe. It serves as a method of vehicle pollution control and filters all the fine particles like ash and dust.

Not only that, this device can collect both dry and wet impurities that should not be released into the environment.

Since the carbon particles are filtered out by the electrostatic precipitator, your vehicle’s exhaust should only emit clean hot smoke, which is less harmful to the people and environment.

What Air Pollutants Scare the Lungs?

automobile-exhaust

A lot of chemical substances can harm a human’s lungs, especially if they are inhaled frequently. The common pollutants that can harm your lungs are as follows:

  • nitrogen oxides
  • sulfur dioxide
  • carbon monoxide
  • smog
  • other particulate matter

These impurities can irritate your airways, causing your breathing to be unnatural. Too much exposure can lead to shortness of breath, coughing, and asthmatic symptoms that can potentially result in respiratory disease, heart illness, or even worse – death.

Which of the Following Pollution Control Device is the Most Effective?

pollution-would-be-decreased-by-using-catalytic-converters-on-cars

There are a lot of pollution control devices out there that minimize waste being released into the environment. All of them are intended to reduce pollutants, ranging from gaseous compounds like hydrocarbons to particulate matter like dust and abrasives.

Some of these devices are:

  • Catalytic Reactors
  • Electrostatic Precipitators
  • Fabric Filters
  • Carbon absorbers
  • Venturi Scrubbers
  • Biofilters
  • Cyclones
  • Incinerators

Of the listed devices, the most effective for vehicle exhaust is the catalytic reactor. This is because of its filtration efficiency of approximately 90% for nitrogen oxides and 99.99% for other gaseous pollutants.

What is the Best Chrome Cleaner for Car Exhaust?

Any heavy-duty chrome cleaner can be the best for your car exhaust, but we suggest you check out Quickway Brands Quick-Glo Chrome Cleaner.

This cleaner has been around since the 50s, cleaning and polishing chrome pieces in the best way possible. It is also eco-friendly and doesn’t release toxic fumes, unlike other chemical chrome polishes.

Make sure to use and apply the chrome cleaner as instructed by the manufacturer.

Conclusion

We can argue about which device helps clean car exhaust, but the answer will still be catalytic converters. These machines can really do wonders to reduce harmful air pollutants.

In today’s world where climate change is worsening, affecting the environment and the health of every living being, it is crucial that we do whatever we can to minimize our waste.

Armed with the knowledge of CatCons, you can breathe easy, knowing that your car engine is producing less harmful fumes.

5/5 - (2 votes)

Author

Bruce-Sonnier

"As the content writer of Charmcitycirculator, I intend to bring just the best purchase options and straightforward answers to your problems. Other than what we put up on our website, we hope to hear more from you. "

– Bruce Sonnier