STABLE, CATALYZED, HIGH TEMPERATURE COMBUSTION IN MICROCHANNEL, INTEGRATED COMBUSTION REACTORS, METHODS OF CONDUCTING CATALYTIC COMBUSTION IN A MULTIZONE REACTOR, AND METHOD OF MAKING A THERMALLY STABLE CATALYST SUPPORT

摘要

Catalysts containing preferably 30 weight percent or more platinum have surprisingly been discovered to possess superior stability and activity for catalyzing combustion reactions. The addition of rhenium improves catalyst performance in fuel lean conditions but has undesirable effects in fuel rich conditions. The invention provides integrated combustion microreactors (10), chemical systems utilizing these integrated combustion microreactors (10), methods of combustion, and methods of providing heat to endothermic reactions (20) in integrated combustion microreactors (10). The invention also provides methods of combusting a fuel in a reactor that includes at least 3 zones each of which contains a solid catalyst (14). A method of making a thermally-stable alumina support from fumed alumina is also described.