Ceria-coated replicated aluminium sponges as catalysts for the CO-water gas shift process

A study on the use of chemical conversion coating as a preparative technique for foam-based structured catalysts, in water gas shift reaction, is presented. The results showed significant correlation between textural properties structure and preparation technique, highlighting how suitable highly porous structures. In first part paper, performance two catalysts obtained by commercial aluminium foams, with different porosity, was compared. activity tests suggested that diffusion phenomena occurred case uncompressed foams. These were confirmed evaluating catalyst compressed 5 PPI pore size foam, which much higher activity, at same contact time, respect to corresponding non-compressed foam. Finally, an sponge, synthesized replication compared 40 sponge-based dependence structure: X-ray computed tomography images highlighted narrow distribution sizes presence “bottleneck type” connections sponge structure, are beneficial catalyst.