Synthesis of meso- and macro- porous aluminosilicate over micro-channel plate as support material for production of hydrogen by water-gas shift (WGS)

Meso- and macro-porous aluminosilicate was synthesized using a templating method. Aluminosilicate, which consists of alumina and silica, is a zeolite ceramic that exhibits high porosity and high specific surface area. These properties make aluminosilicates good catalytic support materials. Despite this, the applications of aluminosilicates have been limited to the catalytic conversion of light gases because of the small pore size, < 2 nm. Therefore, meso- and macro-porous zeolite was synthesized for use in the catalytic process for the large size molecules and water vapor. In this study, a range of surfactants were used to produce meso-pores, 2–5 nm in size. Polymer nano-beads were also used as a template for the formation of macro-pores in aluminosilicate. The meso- and macroporous aluminosilicate was coated over a micro-channel plate, and the coated micro-channel plates were stacked for use as a catalytic micro-channel reactor. The meso- and macro-porous aluminosilicate over the micro-channel plate was supported with copper and zinc oxide using the impregnation method for the production of hydrogen via the water-gas shift reaction.