Method and apparatus for making recyclable catalysts

A method of producing and using a fixed-bed catalyst with nano-scale structure using a nano-powder production reactor and a filter structure, the method comprising:

• introducing a starting powder into the nano powder production reactor, wherein the starting powder comprises catalyst material;
• the nano-powder production reactor nano-sizing the starting powder, thereby producing an output, wherein the output comprises a nano-powder entrained in a reactor fluid stream, the nano-powder comprising a plurality of nano-particles, each nano-particle comprising the catalyst material;
• introducing the output from the nano-powder production reactor to the filter structure, wherein the filter structure is fluidly coupled to the nano-powder production reactor;
• the filter structure separating the nano-particles from the reactor fluid stream, wherein the filter structure collects the nano-particles, thereby forming a structured collection of catalytic nano-particles on the filter structure;
• removing the filter structure from the nano-powder production reactor, wherein the structured collection of catalytic nano-particles is maintained on the filter structure for use as a fixed-bed catalyst;
• employing the structured collection of catalytic nano-particles on the filter structure as a fixed-bed catalyst for a catalysis fluid stream, thereby forming a structured collection of contaminated catalytic nano-particles on the filter structure and a product output;
• harvesting the contaminated catalytic nano-particles from the filter structure;
• processing the contaminated catalytic nano-particles to form recycled starting powder from the contaminated catalytic nano-particles, wherein the recycled starting powder comprises the catalyst material;
• introducing the recycled starting powder into the nano-powder production reactor;
• and
• the nano-powder production reactor nano-sizing the recycled starting powder, thereby producing an output, wherein the output comprises a nano-powder entrained in a fluid stream, the nano-powder comprising a plurality of nano-particles, each nano-particle comprising the catalyst material.