Hydrogen production for fuel cells by methanol steam reforming using paperlike catalyst/fiber composites

Cupper-zinc oxide catalyst powders were successfully prepared into paperlike composites, called catalyst paper in this study, using ceramic fibers as a supporting matrix by a papermaking technique with a dual polyelectrolyte retention system. Catalyst particles were supported on the ceramic fiber networks tailored in the composite sheets having various types of voids and pores. Catalyst papers were subjected to methanol steam reforming (MSR) process to produce hydrogen gas for fuel cell applications, and demonstrated a higher performance for H-2 production in the MSR reaction as compared with original catalyst powders. The concentration of carbon monoxide acting as a catalytic poison for Pt-based catalyst of a fuel electrode particularly decreased by half without any post-treatment using CO reduction system. The porous structure of paperlike composites presumably made some contribution to the MSR efficiency. An increase in the paper void as a burned mark of pulp fibers promoted both H2 production and CO reduction to a certain extent possibly because the in-paper MSR process was optimized thermodynamically. thus, the porous, flexible, easy-handling catalyst papers would be expected as a promising catalytic material for a clean energy production.