Eugene Houdry

Liquid fuels—Up until World War I enough gasoline was produced from crude oil by distillation. Cracking fuel oil, another product of distillation, was necessary to meet increased gasoline demands. Early processes used high heat and pressure but Houdry discovered that a catalyst enabled the process to be done at a lower temperature, more quickly, and more cheaply. He also invented the catalytic muffler which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide and unburned carbons released into the atmosphere. (1990)