Aluminium foams as structured supports for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) oxidation

In this work aluminium foams were studied as structured supports for the elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs, toluene). Foams of different pore density, 10, 20 and 40 pores per inch (ppi), were used in an anodisation process to produce a very thin layer of alumina. This alumina layer was impregnated with the active phase, platinum, by wet impregnation. Anodisation process variables (temperature, time and current density) and their effect on the alumina layer were studied. Finally, their catalytic activity was tested in the toluene complete oxidation reactions. Catalytic activity increases both with the increasing platinum content and with the pore density of the foam showing the importance of the mass-transfer phenomena (contact between the gas phase and the solid catalyst). (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.