Houdry's catalytic converter

In the early 1950s, when the first research on smog identified its harmful effects on human populations, French engineer Eugene Houdry (1892-1962) began his research into air pollution. He pinpointed exhaust fumes from cars, the use of which had spread rapidly as part of mass motorization, as the main culprit in the declining air quality. Together with his Oxy-Catalyst Company, Houdry ultimately developed an exhaust fume catalytic converter for petrol engines, for which he was granted a patent in 1956. However, the first functional three-way catalytic converter, based on Houdry’s invention, only came on the market in 1973.