Methane steam reforming using fibrous composite catalytic structures having at least three solid phases

A process of performing methane steam reforming to produce a syngas comprised predominantly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which process comprising reacting methane by passing it through a permeable composite catalytic sheet-like structure in the form selected from sheet, board and block, comprised of at least three distinct solid phases wherein:

• i) a first solid phase is comprised of a 3-dimensional substantially continuous network of a non-conductive porous ceramic material;
• ii) a second solid phase is comprised of a plurality of electrically conductive fibers, having a bulk density that will provide substantially continuous electrical conductivity from one end of said sheet-like structure to an opposing end, and integrated throughout the 3-dimensional substantially continuous network of non-conductive porous ceramic material;
• iii) a third solid phase comprised of an effective amount of methane steam reforming catalyst particles dispersed throughout the non-conductive porous ceramic material, the plurality of electrically conductive fibers, or both, at methane reforming reaction conditions.