The development of catalyst supports with direct incorporation of the catalyst material and magnetically heatable particles during the foaming process is presented. The developed materials will be used in a reactor with induction heater for the synthesis of butadiene from ethanol.

Abstract

Carbon foams with and without functional particles were prepared via a simple direct foaming process. The carbon foams were composed of pyrolytic carbon and graphite. In the foams with additional functional particles, the latter were integrated directly in the direct foaming process. These functional particles were the catalytic material Saponite and the induction heat-able material MagSilica^®. The foams were characterized including the induction heatability. The foams were also successfully tested in an induction heated lab-scale reactor for a case study reaction, ethanol to 1,3-butadiene.