Asymmetric ceramic hollow fibres: New micro-supports for gas-phase catalytic reactions

Al2O3 hollow fibres fabricated by phase-inversion, followed by sintering at different temperatures (1350, 1400 and 1450 degrees C) have been employed for the further development of a novel catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR). After depositing with a 10%CuO/CeO2 catalyst, the catalytic activity of the CHFMR has been compared with that of a conventional fixed-bed reactor using water gas shift (WGS) as a sample reaction. The deposition of catalyst into the finger-like voids was carried out using the sol-gel Pechini method. The Al2O3 hollow fibres were characterized before and after catalyst deposition by BET surface area analysis, Hg porosimetry and SEM-EDS. The catalytic activity tests were performed at P=1 atm and between T=200 and 400 degrees C. It has been observed that the dispersion of the 10%CuO/CeO2 catalyst within the Al2O3 hollow fibres is strongly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of the fibre surface, which are determined by the sintering temperature. Finally, an increase of 20% in the CO conversion of the WGS reaction was observed for the CHFMR when compared with a conventional fixed-bed reactor, since the finger like structure of Al2O3 hollow fibres (D-p=10 mu m) acts as a micro-reactor and improves the heat and mass transfer, and the mixing of gases during the reaction. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.