Rh/θ-Al₂O₃/FeCrAlloy wire mesh composite catalyst for partial oxidation of natural gas

The catalytic modules based on Rh/θ-Al₂O₃/FeCrAlloy wire mesh composite were designed and manufactured. Due to enhanced heat transfer properties, the module exhibits an excellent performance for natural gas partial oxidation, providing thermodynamic equilibrium product distribution and synthesis gas productivity of 56.7 m³L_cat ⁻¹h⁻¹ (s.c.) at 800 °C and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 80000 h⁻¹. The catalyst demonstrated stable operation with start/stop cycles for at least 20 h on stream. Analysis by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy revealed no damages of the catalytic coating and confirmed structural stability of the catalyst under operating conditions. Despite the elevated operational temperatures achieving 940 °C and rapid temperature changes, the composite catalyst retained a high Rh dispersion and good adhesion of the θ-Al₂O₃ layer.