Thermographical studies on noble metal catalysts during reforming and combustion of methane

IR thermographical observation was applied to investigate the temperature profiles of alumina granules supported Rh, Pt, and Pd catalysts during the combustion, steam, and CO₂ reforming and autothermal reforming of methane. Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst exhibited the lowest combustion reactivity and the highest reforming activity. Furthermore, it showed an excellent activity with low bed temperature and high methane conversion in the autothermal reforming reaction. The reforming and the combustion reaction zones were well-overlapped over Rh catalyst, which contributed to the inhibition of the hot spots occurrence, and thus result in an efficient heat transfer from the exothermic combustion to the endothermic reforming zones. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 228th ACS National Meeting (Philadelphia, PA, 8/22-26/2004).