Catalytic reactor, disposable cartridge enclosing iron catalyst, acts as container for solid carbon formed by decomposition of carbon monoxide. Deposition of carbon in other parts of oxygen recovery system does not occur because of lack of catalytic activity; filters trap carbon particles and prevent their being transported outside reaction zone

Mccullough, C. M.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

September 1973
	 B7340376 
•	 NASA TECH BRIEF 
Ames Research Center
	 -4v 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Catalytic Reactor with Disposable Cartridge 
High temperature systems for the recovery of 
oxygen from carbon dioxide typically involve a cyclic 
process in which carbon dioxide is electrolyzed to 
form carbon monoxide and oxygen, and the carbon 
monoxide is disproportionated catalytically to form 
carbon dioxide and carbon; the net reaction is the 
formation of carbon and oxygen from carbon dioxide. 
The disproportionation step occurs optimally at 550°C 
in the presence of iron; ideally, the reactor in which 
this step takes place must contain the catalyst and 
•
provide for simple removal of deposited carbon from 
the system. 
A novel form of catalytic reactor for the dispropor-
tionation of carbon monoxide has been developed; it 
consists of a disposable cartridge which encloses the 
iron catalyst and acts as a container for the solid 
carbon formed by decomposition of carbon monoxide. 
Deposition of carbon in other parts of the oxygen 
recovery system does not occur because of lack of 
catalytic activity; but the cartridge includes filters to 
trap carbon particles and prevent their being trans-
ported outside of the reaction zone. 
The reactor housing may be fabricated from a 20-
cm stainless steel pipe about 69 cm long; the wall 
thickness is reduced to 2.5 mm except for 3.8-cm 
lengths at each end which act as flanges for stainless 
steel end plates held in place by screws. The end-
plate closures are rendered gas-tight by use of gold 
wire 0-rings. The cartridge contained within the 
reactor housing is designed to provide a large volume 
for carbon deposition; it is made from a thin-walled, 
mild steel tube which has one end flared to aid 
positioning it in the reactor housing. Large, light-
weight filter pads made of bulk ceramic fiber are 
located within each end of the tube on a central sup-
port rod; the pads are retained by suitable dimpling 
and tabulation of the cartridge wall. The consumable 
Filter 
Aluminum Screen 
Aluminum Foil 
Reactor Housing
Filter 
:artridge Holder 
*04 
Mild Steel Sheet 
catalyst, centered in the cartridge and held by the 
support rod, is 0.1-mm mild steel sheet convoluted to 
give a six-pointed, star-shaped cross section; it has 
an exposed surface area (one side only) of about 
From Electrolyzer 
Furnace 
Support Rod 
Cartridge Core 
Steel Sheet 
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730000376 2020-03-17T07:04:52+00:00Z
0.2 m2. Because all components in the cartridge are 
held in place by the central support, light-weight 
noncatalytic materials (such as an aluminum foil—
screen combination), can be used to construct the 
cartridge walls; the central support rod facilitates 
insertion and removal of the cartridge. 
The active catalytic surface of iron is located sub-
statially in the central region of the cartridge; thus, 
thermally insulating carbon deposits form on the 
catalyst surface instead of the cartridge wall. Because 
the walls of the cartridge are clean, thermal conduc-
tion from an outside heat source is not reduced, and 
so it is not necessary to increase furnace power to 
maintain the required reactor zone temperature as 
the cartridge fills with carbon.
Notes:. 
1. Catalytic reactors of this type might be useful in 
cleaning combustion gases of carbon monoxide 
and sulfur compounds. 
2. Requests for further information may be directed 
to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
Ames Research Center 
Moffett Field, California 94035 
Reference: TSP 73-10376 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: Charles M. McCullough of 
Applied Electrochemistry, Inc. 
under contract to 
(ARC-10747)
. 
. 
B73-10376	 Category 04


Catalytic reactor with disposable cartridge

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