Microfibrous entrapped catalysts for low temperature CO oxidation in humid air

CO oxidation on Pt-CeO2/SiO2 catalyst was found to be diffusion controlled at ambient conditions (T < 50 °C; RH: 10–90%), so the use of small particles was imperative to optimize Pt utilization. Packed beds (PBs) of small particles cause channeled flow, axial dispersion due to cluster formation and they are susceptible to vibrations and changes in orientation. Nickel microfibers (4–8 μm) entrapped catalysts (MFECs) were developed to avoid these problems with PBs. These MFECs improved heat transfer within the reactor and minimized flow maldistribution thereby improving the activity. MFECs outperformed the PBs over a wide range of CO concentrations exhibiting greater stability and performance (CO conv. > 99% for > 10 hrs).

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► Impact of internal diffusion limitation on Pt-CeO2/SiO2 catalyst activity was studied.
► Entrapment of catalysts in Ni fibers resulted in greater activity for CO Oxidation at ambient conditions.
► Impact of heat and mass transport properties on catalyst performance was investigated.
► Stability of Ni microfibers entrapped catalysts was studied.