Catalytic converters used on passenger car exhaust pipes only function properly when the engine is sufficiently heated. According to foreign media reports, researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the University of Antwerp have jointly developed an improved catalyst that can effectively purify car exhaust even at room temperature.
The tri-metallic catalytic converters in car exhaust systems are made of expensive materials and only operate efficiently when the exhaust gases reach several hundred degrees Celsius. Thus, when users start the car or drive hybrid vehicles, the expelled exhaust still contains toxic carbon monoxide.
In an article published in the journal "Science", a research team led by Emiel Hensen demonstrated that by adjusting the carrier material of the catalyst, the toxic carbon monoxide can be almost entirely converted into carbon dioxide gas, even at room temperature.
