On Tue, 19 Oct 2004, Bob Lutz wrote:

> It would seem to me, mind you, I don't know my ass from ice cream about
> this sort of thing, but it seems to me that all it would do is dilute
> the emissions, by making them hotter. Less particles of [whatever it is
> that comes out]= lower emission count at the testing station. I'm
> probably wrong, though.

Um...yeah. You're wrong. *VERY* wrong. That's not how a catalytic
converter works at all.

A catcon has two sections: a reducing section and an oxidizing section.
Reduction and oxidation are two opposite chemical processes. In oxidation,
Oxygen is combined with another element to create a compound called an
"oxide". In reduction, oxygen is removed from an oxide.

The reducing section of the catalytic converter is upstream of the
oxidizing section, and in some systems is housed separately. Its job is to
_reduce_ Nitrogen Oxides ("NOx") into Nitrogen and Oxygen.

The oxidizing section of the catalytic converter then oxidizes Carbon
Monoxide into Carbon Dioxide, and unburned hydrocarbons into Dihydrogen
Monoxide (water) and Carbon Dioxide.

DS