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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