Patent ID: 7214331

Claim:
A method for the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide by contacting with a mixture of a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas and an oxygen-containing feed gas a catalyst composition comprising a first layer comprising a catalytically active metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, platinum, palladium, iridium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium and combinations thereof dispersed on an inert carrier support and a second layer comprising a reduced metal catalyst consisting essentially of a transition metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, platinum, palladium, iridium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and combinations thereof supported on or in a stable inorganic metal oxide washcoated on a support, wherein said first and said second layers are serially aligned and said first layer is more stable to temperatures in excess of 1100° C. than said second layer.