Oxidation catalytic converter
The oxidation catalytic converter transforms the hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) contained in diesel exhaust gases into water and carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, it oxidizes the nitrogen monoxide (NO) into nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
The oxidation catalytic converter consists of a ceramic or metal carrier body axially penetrated by channels with an edge width of about one millimetre each. The walls of these channels are coated with platinum or rhodium as a catalytically effective substance.
In vehicles with a diesel particulate filter, the oxidation catalytic converter is located upstream of the filter. The NO2 released in the catalytic converter oxidizes in the particulate filter the residual soot, which consists mainly of carbon, turning it into nitrogen (N2), which is a non-pollutant component of ordinary air, and into carbon dioxide.
