Catalysis Letters, Vol.99, No.3-4, 177-180, 2005
Performance comparison of Ir/CNF and Ir/Al2O3 catalysts in a 2 N hydrazine microthruster
The aim of this work is to report the catalytic performances of iridium supported on carbon nanofibre with macroscopic shaping in the catalytic decomposition of hydrazine. The performances obtained are compared to those of the commercial catalyst Shell 405. Catalytic experiments are carried out in a 2 N microthruster. The carbon nanofibre based catalyst shows better activity performances than the commercial one due to its high external surface area and its high thermal conductivity.
Keywords:carbon nanofibres;catalytic support;hydrazine decomposition;microthruster;satellite propulsion