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

Abstract

Al 2O 3 hollow fibres fabricated by phase-inversion, followed by sintering at different temperatures (1350, 1400 and 1450 °C) have been employed for the further development of a novel catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR). After depositing with a 10%CuO/CeO 2 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 Al 2O 3 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 °C. It has been observed that the dispersion of the 10%CuO/CeO 2 catalyst within the Al 2O 3 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 Al 2O 3 hollow fibres ( D p = 10 μm) acts as a micro-reactor and improves the heat and mass transfer, and the mixing of gases during the reaction.