MONOLITHIC HONEYCOMBS IN INDUSTRIAL CATALYSIS

Monolithic catalysts are becoming increasingly important in industrial catalysis due to their low pressure drop at high gas hourly space vel ocities. Compared to ceramic monoliths, metal monoliths are superior b ecause of their ease of fabrication, higher mechanical strength, therm al conductivity (hence uniform bed temperature), and thermal shock res istance. This review describes briefly the potential applications of m onolithic honeycomb catalysts in steam cracking to produce olefins and aromatics, low-temperature and high-temperature catalytic combustion, and of rotating monoliths as continuously regenerating reactors. Resu lts are also presented on (a) controlled washcoating of alumina-whiske r-covered metal monoliths, (b) the possibility to prepare monolith cat alysts of variable activity, and (c) single-channel annular reactors ( SCAR) for monolith simulation and quick catalyst screening.