Three-dimensionally structured porous catalyst monolith of stacked catalyst fibers

A three-dimensionally structured porous catalyst monolith of stacked catalyst fibers with a fiber diameter of less than 1 mm made from one or more continuous fibers or stacked individual fibers, wherein the stacked catalyst fibers are arranged in a regular, recurring stacking pattern of fiber layers to form the three-dimensionally structured monolith, and wherein in each of the stacked fiber layers at least 50 wt % of the fibers are arranged parallel to each other and spatially separated from each other, or in a cobweb pattern, and wherein the side crushing strength of the monolith is at least 60 N, in which the monolith is formed of catalytically active metal or metal alloy supported on inorganic oxide catalyst support particles, starting from powders of prefabricated catalysts, obtained by a method comprising the following steps:

• a) preparing a suspension paste in a liquid diluent of powders of prefabricated supported catalysts, in which metal, metal alloy and/or metal oxide particles of the catalytically active metal or metal alloy are supported on inorganic oxide catalyst support particles, and which suspension can furthermore comprise a binder material, all particles in the suspension having a number average particle size in the range of from 0.5 to 500 μm, measured by sieving the particles or by photographic techniques,
• b) extruding the paste of step a) through one or more nozzles having a maximum diameter of less than 1 mm to form fibers, and depositing the extruded fibers to form a three-dimensional porous catalyst monolith precursor,
• c) drying the porous catalyst monolith precursor to remove the liquid diluent, optionally reducing the metal oxide(s) in the porous catalyst monolith precursor to form the catalytically active metal or metal alloy,
• wherein no temperature treatment of the porous catalyst monolith precursor or porous catalyst monolith at temperatures above 1000° C. is performed.