What catalysts, besides platinum, can be used for catalytic combustion?

biovent

I'm trying to build a micro combuster, but i can't afford platinum. Anybody know of a catalyst that can allow for the combustion of gaseous hydrocarbons(methane, propane, etc.), in air, at atmospheric pressure, and at no more than 200 F?

chemisttree

Impossible to answer the way you have asked the question. Temperature is related to the turnover rate of the catalyst under a given set of conditions. Surface area, intrinsic reactivity, fuel and air flow, equipment design all influence that rate of reaction.

Borek

Google hopcalite. Not that it is the answer to your problem, but perhaps it can give you some starting point.

Topher925

I think just about any of the metals from the platinum group will work, i.e. palladium, rubidium, etc. Of course they are all very expensive as well.

biovent

thanks borek. sorry if the question is a bit off, i don't really know much about catalysis. the microcombuster is just a subsystem of a bigger project i'm working on.

Borek

Sounds like a completely new periodic table

That Neuron

This made me laugh out loud.

But he is right in that the platinum group (although not of a particular number of electrons in a sub shell as the typical vertical groups are defined) is referred to as the platinum group because of their low activities and ability to act as catalysts for oxidation reactions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum_group

...But I think you already know this. And I am just stating the obvious.

Topher925

Whoops. Yeah, that should be ruthenium, not rubidium. I get those two mixed up a lot.