Cerium oxide CeO2

Application of Cerium oxide

• Automotive Catalysts: Cerium oxide is widely used in catalytic converters for cars. It helps in converting harmful emissions from the engine, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons, into less harmful gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas.
• Water Gas Shift Reaction: It catalyzes the water-gas shift reaction, which is crucial for producing hydrogen from water and carbon monoxide.
• Glass Polishing: Cerium oxide is a primary component in glass polishing compounds. It’s used for polishing high-quality glass surfaces, including mirrors, television screens, and optical lenses, due to its effectiveness in removing fine scratches and smoothing surfaces.
• Semiconductor Polishing: In the electronics industry, cerium oxide is used for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) to flatten and smooth silicon wafers during the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices.
• Color and Strength: Cerium oxide is added to ceramics to impart color and improve the strength of ceramic materials. It’s used in both decorative objects and structural components that require high durability.
• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs): Due to its high oxygen ion conductivity, cerium oxide is used as an electrolyte and a component of the cathode in solid oxide fuel cells, which convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy with high efficiency.