Structured Catalysts for Steam and Autothermal Reforming of Ethanol to Synthesis Gas. Part 1: Synthesis and Catalytic Properties

Steam and autothermal ethanol reforming provides the production of synthesis gas suitable for use both in fuel cells and as a feedstock as a feedstock the chemical industry. The effective occurrence of these reactions requires heat transfer control. In the case of the endothermic steam reforming of ethanol, the problem of heat transfer from the reactor walls to the catalyst bed arises. For the thermoneutral autothermal reforming (steam–air conversion) of ethanol, the heat evolved in the frontal part of the catalyst bed due to ethanol oxidation by oxygen should be redistributed along the catalyst bed to compensate for the endothermic effect of ethanol steam reforming. Structured catalysts based on heat-conducting substrates—metal gauzes, metal foam, and other supports—are well suited to solving these problems. These catalysts are represented by a complex composite material with a multilevel “structured metal substrate–structural oxide component–active oxide–metal/alloy nanoparticle” structure, which combines the functions of a heat exchanger, a flow distributor, and a catalyst. This paper describes results of synthesizing structured Pt-, Rh-, Pd-, Ru-, Ni-, and Co-containing catalysts supported on a FeCrAl gauze and studying their catalytic properties.