Ni-Infiltrated Spherical Porcelain Support as Potential Steam Reforming Microchannel Reactor

Sandrine Ricote; William Grover Coors

doi:10.3390/ma16041519

Ni-Infiltrated Spherical Porcelain Support as Potential Steam Reforming Microchannel Reactor

Materials (Basel). 2023 Feb 11;16(4):1519. doi: 10.3390/ma16041519.

Authors

Sandrine Ricote¹, William Grover Coors^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
² Hydrogen Helix, Golden, CO 80401, USA.

Abstract

This paper describes the fabrication of kaolinite (Al₂O₃-2SiO₂-2H₂O) spherical bulbs by slip casting. The bisque-fired parts present a porosity of about 30% with submicron porosity confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. In addition, plate-like grains with channels were observed. After nickel infiltration of the specimens, nanosized Ni particles covered the surfaces of the channels of these grains. Permeation tests in 5% H₂ at 400 and 600 °C resulted in fluxes between 0.05 and 0.06 mol·m^-2·s^-1 at a pressure gradient of 200 MPa·m^-1. Potential applications of these specimens include supports for hydrocarbon (namely ethanol) steam reforming.

Keywords: ceramic fabrication; hydrogen production; kaolinite; porous ceramic; slip casting; steam reforming.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Colorado School of Mines Foundation via the Angel Research Fund.