Method and device for cleaning the atmosphere

A method for treating the atmosphere to catalytically convert atmospheric pollutants to less harmful materials comprising contacting the pollutant containing atmosphere with an outer surface of a motor vehicle component which has been coated with encapsulated particles of a catalyst composition said catalyst composition selected from base metals, precious metals, salts and oxides thereof and combinations thereof, said particles having been protected by encapsulation prior to their use for coating said surface with at least one porous protective material selected from zeolites, clays, alumina, high surface area silica containing aluminum oxide, silica containing high surface area alumina, titania, zirconia, silica, rare earth oxides and mixtures thereof said protective material being sufficiently porous to enable said atmosphere containing said pollutants to pass therethrough into operative contact with the catalyst composition and sufficiently protective to prevent catalyst degrading pollutants from contacting the catalyst composition.

A device for treating the atmosphere to catalytically convert atmospheric pollutants to less harmful materials comprising an outer surface of a motor vehicle component which has been coated with encapsulated particles of a catalyst composition said catalyst composition selected from base metals, precious metals, salts and oxides thereof and combinations thereof, said particles having been protected by encapsulation prior to their use for coating said surface with at least one porous protective material selected from zeolites, clays, alumina, high surface area silica containing aluminum oxide, silica containing high surface area alumina, titania, zirconia, silica, rare earth oxides and mixtures thereof said protective material being sufficiently porous to enable said atmosphere containing said pollutants to pass therethrough into operative contact with the catalyst composition and sufficiently protective to prevent catalyst degrading pollutants from contacting the catalyst composition.

A device for treating the atmosphere to catalytically convert atmospheric pollutants to less harmful materials comprising an outer surface of a motor vehicle component which has been coated with a catalyst composition selected from base metals, precious metals, salts and oxides thereof and combinations thereof, the catalyst composition being protected with an overcoat of at least one porous protective material selected from zeolites, clays, alumina, high surface area silica containing aluminum oxide, silica containing high surface area alumina, titania, zirconia, silica, rare earth oxides and mixtures thereof said protective material is sufficiently porous to enable said atmosphere containing said pollutants to pass therethrough into operative contact with the catalyst composition and sufficiently protective to prevent catalyst degrading pollutants from contacting the catalyst composition.