This blog is intended to be the source on catalytic converters technology and news. Catalytic converters provide an environment for a chemical reaction wherein toxic combustion by-products are converted to less-toxic substances. It was first widely introduced on series-production automobiles in the US market for the 1975 model year to comply with tightening EPA regulations on auto exhaust.

The device was made due to the public’s concern on the growing problem on air pollution. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA was established. EPA is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and with safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land.

In July of 1970, the law that established the EPA was passed in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air and land, spurred by such scandals as the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire. Prior to the establishment of the EPA, the federal government was not structured to make a coordinated attack on the pollutants which harm human health and degrade the environment. The EPA was assigned the task of repairing the damage already done to the natural environment and to establish new criteria to guide Americans in making a cleaner environment a reality.

Mostly used on motor vehicle emission systems, catalytic converters, are also used on generator sets, forklifts, mining equipment, trucks, buses, trains, and other engine-equipped machines.

Today, aside from catalytic converters installed on vehicles, car manufacturers are also in a race on producing hybrid cars and other technology that will make automobiles greener automobiles.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2007 at 7:40 pm and is filed under History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.