Catalyst

Beyond acid pickling, catalysts are central to the production of automotive exhaust tubing. The "catalytic converter" is essentially an expanded tube section containing a ceramic honeycomb matrix. This matrix is coated with a washcoat containing precious metal catalysts (like platinum, palladium, and rhodium). As toxic exhaust gases flow through the tube, the catalyst drastically lowers the activation energy required to oxidize carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and reduce nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen gas.