Metal foam supported catalyst and method for the production thereof

A process for producing a supported catalyst, comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a metal foam body A consisting of metallic nickel;
• (b) applying an aluminum-containing powder MP to metal foam body A so as to obtain metal foam body AX;
• (c) thermally treating metal foam body AX to achieve alloy formation between metal foam body A and aluminum-containing powder MP so as to obtain metal foam body B, wherein the maximum temperature in the thermal treatment of metal foam body AX is within the range from 680 to 715° C. and the total duration of thermal treatment in the maximum temperature range is between 5 and 240 seconds;
• (d) oxidizing the metal foam body B so as to obtain metal foam body C;
• (e) applying a catalytically active layer comprising at least one support oxide and at least one catalytically active component to at least part of the surface of metal foam body C so as to obtain a supported catalyst, and wherein oxidizing the metal foam body B in step (d) is selected from the following:
• heating of metal foam body B while in contact with an oxidizing gas atmosphere without prior formation of aluminum hydroxide on the surface of the metal foam body;
• or heating of metal foam body B while in contact with an oxidizing gas atmosphere after aluminum hydroxide has previously been formed on the surface of the metal foam body.