Porous Al₂O₃ catalyst carrier by 3D additive manufacturing for syngas reforming

A disk-shaped ceramic catalyst made by 3D printing (3DP) is used to reform syngas. We select two Al₂O₃ powders (α-and high-surface-area θ-Al₂O₃) and polymeric binders for preparing the 3DP feedstock. Catalyst stacked Al₂O₃ disks are made by kneading the polymers with ceramic powders and extruding to produce filaments, which are melted and used for 3D additive manufacturing (AM). The processing parameters (sequence of addition, viscosity of the feedstock, etc.), the phase transformation of the θ-powder, and catalytic properties of the made carrier are examined. The made alumina disks were densified to a relative density (RD) of 40% −65%. Two porous disks were coated with catalyst NiO and CeO₂, and used to reform syngas made from waste paper. The best case reforms the CH₄ content in the syngas from 25.7% down to 0.15% or lower. The reformed gaseous fuel is suitable for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).