Corning Inc. recently announced it has celebrated the 40-year anniversary of its automotive ceramic substrate business and the construction of the business’ manufacturing facility in Erwin, N.Y. Corning joined the campaign for cleaner air in the early 1970s with the invention of an economical cellular ceramic substrate used in catalytic converters of automobiles, buses, and trucks. When coated with a catalyst, the ceramic substrate converts exhaust gases into harmless gases and water. 

In 1973, Corning built its automotive plant (now known as Erwin Manufacturing) to produce these ceramic substrates. Today, they are a standard in the industry and found in the majority of the world’s automotive catalytic converters.

“Our substrates have helped capture billons of tons of air pollutants over the past 40 years,” said Hal Nelson, division vice president and business director of Corning Environmental Technologies. “As a result, millions of people worldwide breathe cleaner air. Employees at Erwin Manufacturing, and throughout our Environmental Technologies division, should be proud of their role in developing a business that helps improve the health of our communities.”

Corning has reportedly produced more than 1.5 billion light-duty substrates to help control mobile emissions globally since the first shipment from Erwin.

For more information, visit www.corning.com.