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Products from Oil

How does Oil affect the Environment?
Transport and Catalytic Converters.

The high temperature combustion of fuel
(in petrol and diesel engines used in cars and lorries)
produces toxic gases in addition to carbon dioxide.
Catalytic converters are used
to help to minimize the release of these toxic gases.

What is a Catalytic Converter?

Since the early 1990's, car exhausts have been fitted
with catalytic converters. These use transition metals
such as rhodium, palladium and platinum
to convert harmful emissions into less harmful substances.

Typical reactions are

carbon monoxide  +  oxygen    carbon dioxide.
2CO_(g)           +     O_2(g)         2CO_2(g)

carbon monoxide + nitrogen monoxide  carbon dioxide + nitrogen.
2CO_(g)            +        2NO_(g)                 2CO_2(g)       +   N_2(g)

hydrocarbons + nitrogen monoxide  carbon dioxide + nitrogen + water.

Catalytic converters have a
large surface area and work best at a high temperature.

In addition, lead has been removed from petrol,
reducing widespread lead pollution in the environment.

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