catalyst

Catalysts often gets "poisoned". For example, catalytic converters have vanadium but lead (e.g. in leaded petrol) can deposit on the vanadium and makes it unusable. Other things like dust also makes the catalysts less effective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalyst_poisoning

Heat sometimes causes the catalysts to degrade but poisoning is often more prominent.

Catalytic converters are used in vehicles. Therefore, catalytic converters are NOT industrial process.

Catalytic converters installed in vehicles seldom use vanadium (V); Platinum (PT), rhodium (Rh) & palladium (Pd) are used instead.