Reticulated ceramic foam a b s t r a c t Ni catalyst supported on MgOeAl 2 O 3 (Ni/MgOeAl 2 O 3 ) prepared from hydrotalcite, and NieMgeO catalyst are studied in regard to their activity in the CO 2 reforming of methane at high temperatures in order to develop a catalytically activated foam receivereabsorber for use in solar reforming. First, the activity of their powder catalysts is examined. Ni/MgO-eAl 2 O 3 powder catalyst exhibits a remarkable degree of high activity and thermal stability as compared with NieMgeO powder catalyst. Secondly, a new type of catalytically activated ceramic foam absorber e Ni/MgOeAl 2 O 3 /SiC e and NieMgeO catalyzed SiC foam absorber are prepared and their activity is evaluated using a laboratory-scale receiverereactor with a transparent quartz window and a sun-simulator. The present Ni-based catalytic absorbers are more cost effective than conventional Rh/g-Al 2 O 3 catalyzed alumina and SiC foam absorbers and the alternative Ru/g-Al 2 O 3 catalyzed SiC foam absorbers. Ni/MgOeAl 2 O 3 catalyzed SiC foam absorber, in particular, exhibits superior reforming performance that provides results comparable to that of Rh/g-Al 2 O 3 catalyzed alumina foam absorber under a high flux condition or at high temperatures above 1000 C.
Ni/MgOeAl 2 O 3 catalyzed SiC foam absorber will be desirable for use in solar receiverereactor systems to convert concentrated high solar fluxes to chemical fuels via endothermic natural-gas reforming at high temperatures.