Working as a chemical reactor, the catalytic converter contains a catalyst – typically made of precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium – that facilitates chemical reactions to convert harmful gases like carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), and nitrogen (N2). These reactions occur at high temperatures, which is why the converter needs to reach operating temperature before it can effectively reduce emissio...