Ceramic foam catalysts, or catalyst supports, particularly for steam reforming

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A catalyst, or a precursor thereto, comprises as the, active material or as a support therefor a ceramic foam having, a network of irregular passages extending therethrough said, passages having an average minimum dimension in the range 20 to 300 µm, said foam having a total porosity in the range 40 to 85% and an apparent density of at least 0.7 g.cm-3. The foam may be made by forming a negative replica of an open cell plastics foam by impregnation of the latter with a dispersion of the ceramic material, followed by drying and calcining the impregnated foam to remove the plastics material and to cause the ceramic material to sinter. The catalyst is useful in catalytic processes and in the …