Catalytic Combustion of Methane over Pd/-Al2O3 in a Monolithic Reactor: Kinetic Study

E. LÓPEZ; C. GIGOLA; D. BORIO; V. BUCALÁ

Reaction Kinetics and the Development and Operation of Catalytic Processes

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2001; p. 625 - 630

This paper focuses on the kinetic study of the methane combustion over a Pd/~´-A1203 catalyst deposited on a cordierite monolithic structure. The experiments were performed in an integral reactor, and the operating conditions were chosen to adequately represent the operation of a domestic-scale catalytic heater, i.e. relatively high volumetric flowrates and high methane molar ~actions. The experimental data together with an appropriate model for the integral reactor were used to estimate the intrinsic kinetic parameters for a power law type reaction. For the laboratory catalyst, internal mass transfer limitations become appreciable for temperatures higher than 430C. A heterogeneous reactor model, which includes the evaluation of the methane concentration gradient inside the washcoat, allowed to reproduce with high accuracy the laboratory data.