Metal foam-supported Pd–Rh catalyst for steam methane reforming and its application to SOFC fuel processing

• SMR performance of Pd–Rh/metal foam catalyst was evaluated in a tubular reactor.
• The Pd–Rh catalyst showed better activity and stability than the commercial catalysts.
• The Pd–Rh catalyst was tested in a HEP reactor for SOFC fuel processor application.
• Energy for SMR reaction was transferred from catalytic combustion in the HEP reactor.
• The Pd–Rh catalyst showed less change in surface structure than commercial catalysts.

Pd–Rh/metal foam catalyst was studied for steam methane reforming and application to SOFC fuel processing. Performance of 0.068 wt% Pd–Rh/metal foam catalyst was compared with 13 wt% Ni/Al2O3 and 8 wt% Ru/Al2O3 catalysts in a tubular reactor. At 1023 K with GHSV 2000 h−1 and S/C ratio 2.5, CH4 conversion and H2 yield were 96.7% and 3.16 mol per mole of CH4 input for Pd–Rh/metal foam, better than the alumina-supported catalysts. In 200 h stability test, Pd–Rh/metal foam catalyst exhibited steady activity. Pd–Rh/metal foam catalyst performed efficiently in a heat exchanger platform reactor to be used as prototype SOFC fuel processor: at 983 K with GHSV 1200 h−1 and S/C ratio 2.5, CH4 conversion was nearly the same as that in the tubular reactor, except for more H2 and CO2 yields. Used Pd–Rh/metal foam catalyst was characterized by SEM, TEM, BET and CO chemisorption measurements, which provided evidence for thermal stability of the catalyst.

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