Novel Manufacturing Method for Hydrogen Peroxide Catalysts: A Performance Verification

摘要

This paper describes the experimental characterization of catalysts manufactured with a novel method, omitting the need for the complicated and time consuming wash-coating procedure. The catalysts have been shown to be able to decompose highly concentrated solutions of hydrogen peroxide in operating conditions representative of a thruster for spacecraft attitude control and orbital maneuvers. The catalysts are based on a ceramic honeycomb support in yttria-stabilized zirconia, with manganese oxides as the active phase. Three catalysts, prepared by different in-house developed procedures, have been tested in a decomposition chamber, operating with a 87.5 wt % hydrogen peroxide solution. Test results have demonstrated decomposition efficiencies close to 100% and response times in the range of seconds. Additional tests have been performed on the most promising sample, to identify the maximum amount of hydrogen peroxide that can be decomposed before recording a strong drop in catalyst performance.