AbstractThe catalytic combustion of 1‐hexene present in diluent nitrogen in the concentrations of 1170 p.p.m. and 3000 p.p.m. by excess oxygen, has been studied in the presence of the CuO‐Al2O3 (1:1) catalyst in the temperature range 242° to 424°C. and gas space velocity in the range 4000–16,000 hr.−1. The experimental data on the kinetics of the reaction were found to fit an empirical half‐order law with respect to the 1‐hexene concentration. The presence of water vapor in the reactants was found to have no effect on the efficiency of the catalyst at temperatures higher than 400°C. The above results were similar to those obtained for the catalytic oxidation of n‐hexane studied earlier.The possible use of the above copper oxide‐alumina catalyst for the simultaneous removal of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide present in the auto exhaust gases has been tested, making use of a 1955 six‐cylinder Chevrolet engine run on leaded gasoline fuel. The hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide concentrations encountered in these studies varied in the range 170–16,000 p.p.m. and 1–7% respectively. It was found that the minimum initial temperature of the catalyst bed required for the complete removal of both hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, simultaneously, was 226°C. under no load condition, 342°C. under an engine load of 2.5 h.p., 400°C. under an engine load of 5.1 h.p. or higher, and 236°C. under deceleration conditions. The catalyst showed no deterioration in performance even after 100 hours of continuous service in conjunction with the above auto exhaust gases.