Patent ID: 7767164

Claim:
A catalytic converter apparatus coupled with an engine head block in an internal combustion engine for vehicles for purifying exhaust gas exhausted from the engine head block, comprising: a first catalytic converter holding a first catalyst; and a second catalytic converter coupled with the engine head block through the first catalytic converter, the second catalytic converter holding a second catalyst; each of the first and second catalysts having a catalytic support on which a wash coat layer having a thickness equal to or less than 0.2 mm is formed; the wash coat layer including a first wash coat layer on the catalytic support and a second wash coat layer on the first wash coat layer, each of the first and second wash coat layers comprising a porous material made substantially of aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide and ceric oxide, and having a plurality of voids therein; and each of the plurality of voids being 0.004 mm±0.002 mm in diameter; wherein the plurality of voids occupy 10% to 60% of a whole volume of each of the first and second wash coat layers; the first catalyst has Ba and Pd supported on the porous material in the first wash coat layer, and Rh supported on the porous material in the second wash coat layer, and the second catalyst has Ba and Pd supported on the porous material in the first wash coat layer and Rh and Pt supported on the porous material in the second wash coat layer.