Catalyst substrate support

1. A catalyst substrate support comprising:

a continuous spirally wound rounded cross-section corrugated foil honeycomb matrix having an axis and defining a plurality of passages therethrough which are generally parallel to said axis and extend between opposite end faces of said matrix, the matrix having an outer diameter;

a peripheral mantle extending about an outer perimeter of said matrix, said peripheral mantle having inwardly extending flanges which extend across an outer periphery of said opposite end faces to cover outermost of said passages and restrict fluid flow between said peripheral mantle and said matrix, the peripheral mantle having an inner wall defining an inner diameter of the mantle;

wherein the outer diameter of the matrix is less than the inner diameter of the peripheral mantle to leave a circumferentially extending void therebetween extending between the end faces of the matrix to accommodate different thermal expansions of said matrix and said peripheral mantle;

at least one cross member extending across an end face of the matrix;

said matrix having a slot in said end face extending substantially across said end face; and

said cross member having a first portion that is received in the slot while allowing the cross member to slide relative to the matrix.

2. The catalyst substrate support of claim 1 wherein the void defines a gap with a height smaller than a height of said inwardly extending flanges.

3. The catalyst substrate support of claim 1 wherein the cross member is substantially T shaped; and

wherein a leg of the T shaped cross member is received into the slot.

4. The catalyst substrate support of claim 1 wherein said cross member comprises a strip resting on an end face of the matrix, with said leg portion extending perpendicularly from the strip; and

said strip having end portion located within the flanges of the mantle.

5. The catalyst substrate support of claim 4 further comprising two cross members, a first cross member extending horizontally across the matrix, and a second cross member extending vertically across the matrix, the first and second cross members being secured at an intersection thereof.

6. The catalyst substrate support of claim 2 wherein the flanges radially extend inwardly and have a height corresponding to from three to ten of the passages in the matrix.

7. A catalyst substrate support comprising:

a continuous spirally wound rounded cross-section corrugated foil honeycomb matrix, said matrix having a plurality of passages therein which are generally parallel to the axis, said matrix having opposite end faces and an outer perimeter;

a mantle extending about the perimeter of the matrix, said mantle having radially inwardly extending flanges that capture the matrix therein;

at least one cross-member extending across an end face of the matrix and spaced from the mantle;

said matrix having a slot in said end face extending substantially across said end face; and

said cross-member having a first portion that is received in the slot while allowing the cross-member to slide relative to the matrix.

8. The catalyst substrate support of claim 7 wherein the cross member is substantially T shaped; and

wherein a leg of the T shaped cross member is received into the slot.

9. The catalyst substrate support of claim 8 wherein said cross member comprises a strip resting on an end face of the matrix, with said leg portion extending perpendicularly from the strip; and

said strip having an end portion located within the flanges of the mantle.

10. The catalyst substrate support of claim 9 further comprising two cross members, a first cross member extending horizontally across the matrix, and a second cross member extending vertically across the matrix, the first and second cross members being secured at an intersection thereof.

11. The catalyst substrate support of claim 7 wherein the flanges have a height corresponding to from three to ten of the passages in the matrix.