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From: chris@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Catalytic converters increase sulfur emissions?
Message-ID: <4997@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-Feb-84 22:51:31 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.4997
Posted: Sun Feb  5 22:51:31 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 07:02:45 EST
References: <355@ihuxa.UUCP> <266@pyuxss.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 26

[Begin EQN convention: delim($$)]

Catalytic converters work by bonding oxygen to things (oxidizing).
This helps reduce unburned and partially burned carbon emissions
by converting $C$ and $CO$ to $CO sub 2$ -- carbon dioxide.
Unfortunately it also changes $S$ to $SO$ and $SO sub 2$ and $N$
to $NO$ and $NO sub 2$.  The sulfur and nitogen oxides combine with
water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid (and -ous versions too,
but let's not worry about them for the moment).

The source for the sulfur is impurities in the gasoline.  The
nitrogen is already present in the atmosphere as $N sub 2$; while
$N sub 2$ is pretty stable, it does get broken up occasionally.

The basic results are that catalytic converters cut down on smog
and carbon monoxide at the expense of an increase in sulfur dioxide
and nitrogen dioxide (and thus acid rain).

I don't have enough information to actually compute the smog and
acid-rain differences between "with catalytic converter" and
"without".  Also, I don't know enough about catalytic reactions
and how they affect things.  Any takers?
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci
UUCP:	{seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!chris
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