Rh–La(Mn,Co)O3 monolithic catalysts for the combustion of methane under fuel-rich conditions

Novel Rh–La(Mn,Co)O₃ structured catalysts were developed for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas intended as a preliminary conversion step in combustion systems such as power turbines and utility burners employing a fuel-rich fuel-lean approach to reduce NO_x formation. Active components were impregnated on La–γ-Al₂O₃ washcoated honeycomb monoliths and the catalysts were characterised by BET, SEM/EDS, H₂-TPR, and in situ FT-IR under reaction conditions. Catalytic partial oxidation of methane was tested under both pseudo-isothermal and pseudo-adiabatic conditions showing that the process can be conducted with high yield and selectivity: improved and stable performances were found especially in the case of Rh–LaMnO₃ catalyst, due to the synergism between active sites and to the stabilization of the noble metal.