catalytic converter

There's a container of precious metals dangling from the bottom of your car: your catalytic converter. They contain platinum, and its rising cost has caused a recent spike in converter theft, especially in the U.K. Not only does a missing cat let more pollution into the air, it also disables ...

Bulging in the exhaust system like a rabbit deep in the belly of a boa, the catalytic converter cleans engine fumes before they are released into the air. To the inexperienced, the oversized metal cylinder looks rather uninteresting. To a thief, it is a pod of precious metal worth nearly $200 on ...

Nissan has developed a new catalyst for its gasoline-powered cars that requires only half the amount of precious metals that current designs call for. The catalyst or catalytic converter is a piece of the exhaust system filled with a mix of platinum, rhodium and palladium that captures harmful ...

Raw materials costs are a headache for automakers worldwide, but the skyrocketing price of precious metals could escalate that headache to a migraine.The chief culprit is platinum, the preferred catalyst in automobile catalytic converters. According to Reuters, platinum futures hit $1,340 an ounce ...