Introduction*

Abstract

The widespread use of automobiles offers a degree of mobility to the individual that was unthinkable just a few centuries ago. With increasing car and truck population today, it is obvious that the massive use of combustion engine vehicles is not free of problems, one of the major problems being air pollution. Engine development in the past years has led to improved combustion processes under even more controlled operational conditions. These developments have contributed to new emission control solutions meeting the goals defined by the legislation. Carbon dioxide is an unavoidable combustion product of fossil fuels. The most effective type of catalyst exhaust gas system today is the three-way catalytic converter that simultaneously reduces concentrations of CO, NO, and hydrocarbons.

Authors 5

1. Martin Votsmeier

   Umicore (Germany)

   Affiliation as printed

   Umicore AG & Co KG, Rodenbacher Chaussee 4, Hanau, 63457 Germany

2. Thomas Kreuzer

   Umicore (Germany)

   Affiliation as printed

   Umicore AG & Co KG, Rodenbacher Chaussee 4, Hanau, 63457 Germany

3. J. Gieshoff

   Umicore (Germany)

   Affiliation as printed

   Umicore AG & Co KG, Rodenbacher Chaussee 4, Hanau, 63457 Germany

4. Gerhard Lepperhoff Aachen FEV Motorentechnik

   FEV (Germany)

   Affiliation as printed

   FEV Motorentechnik, Neuenhofstr. 181, Aachen, 52078 Germany

5. Barbara Elvers
   Affiliation as printed

   Hamburg, Germany