Fiber glass supported catalysts and pure platinum: laser ignition of catalytic combustion of propane

A pure platinum (Pt) catalyst and a new industrial catalyst, the silica fiber glass catalyst (SFGC) doped with only 0.2% Pt, were studied and compared. For propane–air catalytic combustion, the ignition of the reaction and its stability were investigated. The reaction, ignited by a laser beam, propagated as a wave front with constant amplitude and velocity along both catalysts, ∼10 mm/s for Pt, and 1–2 mm/s for SFGC. Laser ignition thresholds and the parameter space for front propagation were determined for both catalysts. Spatial instability (resulting in the destruction of the homogeneous regime of combustion and in the formation of hot spots) was found for Pt, but not for SFGC. The new catalyst (SFGC) containing only 10−3 of Pt has the same catalytic activity as pure Pt and better spatial stability.