Applications of Metal Foam in Catalysis and Electrolysis

Open cell metallic foams are suitable for a wide range of applications as materials for filters, catalyst supports for heterogeneous catalysis and electrodes in batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers due to their excellent heat and mass transfer, low pressure drop, good electrical conductivity and high chemical resistance. The foam can be produced in a wide range from pure metals like nickel, iron, silver and copper. Depending on the application, high high-temperature, oxidation and corrosion resistance can be achieved by a patented powder metallurgical alloying process on industrial scale. In the current paper, results for applications of NiFeCrAl foam as catalyst for Steam Methane Reforming and silver foam for the formaldehyde synthesis are discussed. Another focus is the application of nickel foam as electrode material in electrolysis. Electrochemical investigations show that modified nickel foam exhibit a much lower overvoltage than nickel sheets and thus the operating costs of electrolyzers can be significantly reduced.