Oxidative coupling of methane on Sr/La2O3 catalysts: Improving the catalytic performance using cordierite monoliths and ceramic foams as structured substrates
Ceramic structures like monoliths and foams represent attractive alternatives for their application in real systems. The use of structured catalysts results in an important increase of the C2 yield in the oxidative coupling of methane over Sr/La2O3 catalysts. The monolithic catalyst (M)Sr5 was very stable during 100 h of time-on-stream, and showed a homogeneous temperature profile. The increase in methane conversion and C2 yield could be related to the interaction of La with the silica and/or magnesia present in the cordierite structure. The high selectivity showed by the alumina foam catalyst could be originated by the low gas phase/catalytic surface ratio.