Carl D. Keith

Carl Donald Keith (May 29, 1920 – November 9, 2008) was a chemist who was inventor of the three-way catalytic converter, which has played a dramatic role in reducing pollution from motor vehicles since their introduction in the mid-1970s.

Keith was born on May 29, 1920, in Stewart Creek, West Virginia, to Howard, a steelworker, and Mary Rawson Keith, who worked in a bakery. He received a bachelor's degree from Salem College in North Carolina in 1943, earned a master's degree in chemistry from Indiana University in 1945 and was awarded a doctorate from DePaul University in 1947.

From 1943 to 1957, Keith was a chemist at Sinclair Oil. He later was hired by Engelhard Industries.

The initial catalytic converters were installed in cars in the 1975 model year. In 1976, the three-way catalyst was introduced, which, after updates, has been able to eliminate 97% of tailpipe hydrocarbon emissions, 96% of carbon monoxide and 90% of nitrogen oxides produced in automobile engines and those used in light trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Together with Mooney, Keith was honored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office with the 2002 National Medal of Technology, awarded "For the invention, application to automobiles, and commercialization of the three-way catalytic converter. Through their persistent efforts, this technology is the key emission-control component in all new light-duty vehicles in the United States and throughout the world."

Death

Keith was a resident of Marco Island, Florida. He died at age 88 on November 9, 2008, while visiting one of his daughters in New Bern, North Carolina. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.