Abstract: A converter for the purification of exhaust gases from internal combustion engines and the like which comprises a first converting layer of a catalyst of a sintered body structure selected from the group consisting of nickel oxide-copper oxide; manganese oxide-cerium oxide; manganese oxide-lanthanum oxide; manganese oxide-iron oxide; manganese oxide-niobium oxide; manganese oxide-nickel oxide; and either niobium oxide or yttrium oxide or mixtures of both with cobalt oxide; and a second converting layer of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum; platinum-rhodium; platinum-palladium; and nickel oxide, chromium oxide, copper oxide, iron oxide and barium oxide; wherein the converter is constructed so that the exhaust gases pass through said first converting layer and then through said second converting layer. A copper-filled layer consisting of a copper-containing material may be further provided upstream of said first and second converting layers.

Abstract: An alloy of nickel-aluminum-molybdenum containing silicon in the ranges enclosed between points A (nickel--85% by weight, aluminum--5% by weight, molybdenum--10% by weight), B (nickel--75%, aluminum--15%, molybdenum--10%), C (nickel--65%, aluminum--15%, molybdenum--20%) and D (nickel--75%, aluminum--5%, molybdenum--20%) as shown in FIG. 1 and including silicon in the range of 0.1 to 3% by weight and preferably in a range of 0.5 to 2.5% by weight.