Question

Name two metals used in a catalytic converter. How do they help in keeping the environment clean?

Answer 1

Hint: Catalytic converters are the devices used to control the exhaust emission by decreasing the toxic pollutants and toxic gases that occur in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine and convert them into less toxic substances by carrying the chemical catalytic reactions.

Complete step by step answer: As the catalytic converters are very helpful as they decrease the toxic gases from the exhaust gas hence, they need to be the precious metals. Platinum and palladium are the two metals that can be used in a catalytic converter that works as a catalyst to reduce the toxic pollutants and toxic gases from the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. Nickel and palladium and rhodium can also be used as the metals for the catalytic converter in the Internal Combustion engine. These two metals working as catalytic converters helps in keeping the environment clean by changing/converting the hydrocarbons which are unburnt into water \[\left( {{H_2}O} \right)\]and carbon dioxides \[\left( {C{O_2}} \right)\]. These also convert the monoxide \[\left( {CO} \right)\]into the carbon dioxide \[\left( {C{O_2}} \right)\] and nitric oxide into nitrogen gas.

Note: These reactions vary and are based on the metals that are used as catalysts installed in the internal combustion engine. Platinum is although widely used and most active metal as catalyst but the platinum is costly and expensive and also it is specific to the reactions that means it is not suitable for all applications. Nickel can be an alternative to the Platinum as Nickel is less expensive than the Platinum.