Fibrous composite catalytic structures and their use in chemical reactors
First Claim
1. A catalytic sheet comprised of three solid phases wherein a first solid phase is comprised of a plurality of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers, a second solid phase is comprised of a 3-dimensional network of a substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material intermingled with said first solid phase, and a third solid phase comprised of a plurality of catalyst particles dispersed on said 3-dimensional network of porous ceramic material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Permeable composite fibrous catalytic sheets comprised of at least three distinct solid phases. A first solid phase is an electrically conductive phase comprised of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers. A second solid phase is a 3-dimensional porous network of a non-conductive porous ceramic material. A third phase is comprised of catalytic particles dispersed on said 3-dimensional porous network.
16 Citations
43 Claims
- 1. A catalytic sheet comprised of three solid phases wherein a first solid phase is comprised of a plurality of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers, a second solid phase is comprised of a 3-dimensional network of a substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material intermingled with said first solid phase, and a third solid phase comprised of a plurality of catalyst particles dispersed on said 3-dimensional network of porous ceramic material.
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12. A catalytic sheet comprised of three solid phases wherein a first solid phase is comprised of a plurality of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers;
- a second solid phase which is comprised of a 3-dimensional network of an substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material intermingled with said first solid phase, which ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, alumina-silica, titania, zirconia, and magnesia; and
a third solid phase which is comprised of a plurality of particles of methanol reforming catalyst dispersed on said 3-dimensional network of substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- a second solid phase which is comprised of a 3-dimensional network of an substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material intermingled with said first solid phase, which ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, alumina-silica, titania, zirconia, and magnesia; and
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20. A process for producing catalytic sheets comprised of three solid phases wherein a first solid phase is comprised of a plurality of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers, a second solid phase is comprised of a 3-dimensional network of a substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material intermingled with said first solid phase, and a third solid phase comprised of a plurality of catalyst particles dispersed on said 3-dimensional network of porous ceramic material;
- which process comprises;
a) providing a porous mat of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers; b) preparing a blend of an effective amount of catalyst particles in a dispersing liquid; c) passing said blend through said porous mat of electrically conductive carbon fibers an effective number of times until a predetermined amount of catalyst particles are deposited onto the carbon fibers of said porous mat; d) driving-off substantially all liquid dispersing agent that may be present on said catalyst-containing carbon fiber mat; e) preparing a ceramic sol; f) introducing said ceramic sol into an open mold at least as large as said carbon fiber mat; g) submerging said catalyst-containing carbon fiber mat into said ceramic sol for an effective amount of time to allow substantially all of said catalyst particles to migrate from said carbon fibers to said alumina sol; h) driving-off substantially all liquid from step g) above thereby resulting in a 3-dimensional porous network of ceramic material intermingled throughout said carbon fiber mat, which 3-dimensional porous network of non-conductive ceramic material now supports substantially all of said catalyst particles; i) calcining dried intermingled 3-dimensional porous network of ceramic material and carbon fiber mat of step h) above in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and at a temperature from about 100°
C. to about 500°
C.; andj) subjecting said calcined 3-dimensional porous network of ceramic material and carbon fiber mat of step i) above in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere at a temperature from about 200°
C. to about 500°
C. for an effective amount of time to activate substantially all of said catalyst particles, thereby resulting in a catalytic sheet product. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
- which process comprises;
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33. A process for producing catalytic sheets comprised of three solid phases wherein a first solid phase is comprised of a plurality of randomly oriented electrically conductive carbon fibers, a second solid phase is comprised of a 3-dimensional network of a substantially non-conductive porous ceramic material intermingled with said first solid phase, and a third solid phase comprised of a plurality of catalyst particles dispersed on said 3-dimensional network of porous ceramic material;
- which process comprises;
a) blending together an effective amount of catalyst particles for an intended reaction and an effective amount of electrically conductive carbon fibers thereby resulting in a blend; b) mixing at least a portion of said blend with a liquid dispersing agent thereby resulting in a mixture; c) introducing at least a portion of said mixture and an effective amount of a ceramic sol into a mold; d) driving-off substantially all of any liquid from the mixture thereby resulting in a dried 3-dimensional porous network of non-conductive ceramic material intermingled with randomly dispersed electrically conductive carbon fibers; e) calcining dried 3-dimensional porous network of ceramic material and carbon fiber mat of step d) above in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and at a temperature from about 100°
C. to about 500°
C.; andf) subjecting said calcined 3-dimensional porous network of non-conductive ceramic material/randomly dispersed carbon fibers of step e) above in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere at a temperature from about 200°
C. to about 500°
C. for an effective amount of time to activate substantially all of said catalyst particles, thereby resulting in a catalytic sheet product. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- which process comprises;
Specification