Research Progress on Application in Energy Conversion of Silicon Carbide-Based Catalyst Carriers

Abstract

In modern industrial production, heterogeneous catalysts play an important role. A catalyst carrier, as a constituent of heterogeneous catalysts, is employed for supporting and loading active components. The catalyst carrier has a considerable impact on the overall acting performance of the catalysts in actual production. Therefore, a catalyst carrier should have some necessary properties such as a high specific surface area, excellent mechanical strength and wear resistance, and better thermal stability. Among the candidate materials, silicon carbide (SiC) has excellent physical and chemical properties due to its special crystal structure; these properties include outstanding thermal conductivity and remarkable mechanical strength and chemical stability. Therefore, SiC materials with a high specific surface area basically meet the requirements of catalyst carriers. Accordingly, SiC has broad application prospects in the field of catalysis and is an ideal material for preparing catalyst carriers. In the present study, we reviewed the preparation methods and the variation in the raw materials used for preparing SiC-based catalyst carriers with high specific surface areas, in particular the research progress on the application of SiC-based catalyst carriers in the field of energy-conversion in recent years. The in-depth analysis indicated that the construction of SiC with a special structure, large-scale synthesis of SiC by utilizing waste materials, low-temperature synthesis of SiC, and exploring the interaction between SiC supports and active phases are the key strategies for future industrial development; these will have far-reaching significance in enhancing catalytic efficiency, reutilization of resources, ecological environmental protection, energy savings, and reductions in energy consumption.