Our bodies are full of catalytic processes. These processes allow us to breathe, convert food into energy and move. The modern world has been made possible by catalytic processes that breakdown crude oil to gasoline and other grades of fuel. Some very sophisticated catalysts provide us with many of the newest drugs and pharmaceutical products on the market. Catalysts are present in every one of these examples.
Catalysts generally operate in systems that are very clean.
Many types of materials can be a source of contamination for catalytic processes. Their presence can compromise the efficiency of a catalytic process. Air and water are common poisons in many industrial processes. CO is a result of the petroleum cracking process. If small amounts of CO are present in a polymerization process, the process may just slow down a bit.