Patent ID: 7737077

Claim:
A catalyst for purifying exhaust gases, the catalyst comprising: a catalytic substrate; a first catalytic layer having a first loading layer formed on an upstream side of the catalytic substrate and made of a fire-resistant inorganic oxide, and Rh loaded in the first loading layer; a second catalytic layer having a second loading layer formed on a surface of the catalytic substrate on a downstream side of the first catalytic layer and made of a fire-resistant inorganic oxide, and Pd and/or Pt loaded in the second loading layer; and a third catalytic layer having a third loading layer formed on a surface of the second catalytic layer and made of a fire-resistant inorganic oxide, and Rh loaded in the third loading layer wherein the first catalytic layer is such that, when taking Rh loaded in the first catalytic layer as 100% by weight, Rh is loaded in an amount of 70% by weight or more in a distance from the surface measured in a thickness direction that is not greater than 20 μm, and the loading amount of Rh loaded in the first catalytic layer is from 1.5 to 15 times as much as the loading amount of Rh loaded in the third loading layer.