DIRECT OXIDATION OF ETHYLENE TO ACETALDEHYDE IN A HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE REACTOR†

A hollow fiber membrane reactor, which resembles a tube-and-shell heat exchanger, was developed for homogeneous catalytic reactions with gas reactants and products. The gas stream flows through the tube side while the reaction takes place in the catalyst solution which fills the shell side. The separation load of product from the catalyst solution can be reduced by using a hollow fiber membrane reactor instead of a conventional bubble column reactor. The reactor operates in a plug-flow pattern with a large mass transfer area per unit volume of catalyst solution

This concept was investigated experimentally using the direct oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde reaction in an aqueous solution of palladium (H) chloride-cupric chloride with a silicone rubber membrane reactor and a polypropylene membrane reactor. It was experimentally demonstrated that membrane reactors could achieve higher production rates per unit volume of catalyst than the conventional sparged reactor. The experimental data were in good agreement with the predictions by the mathematical model. The conditions under which the membrane reactor will be more advantageous than the conventional sparged reactors can be readily ascertained with the analytical solution of the simplified membrane reactor model.     

Design of mixed conducting ceramic membranes/reactors for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas

The performance of mixed conducting ceramic membrane reactors for the partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas has been analyzed through a two‐dimensional mathematical model, in which the material balance, the heat balance and the momentum balance for both the shell and the tube phase are taken into account. The modeling results indicate that the membrane reactors have many advantages over the conventional fixed bed reactors such as the higher CO selectivity and yield, the lower heating point and the lower pressure drop as well. When the methane feed is converted completely into product in the membrane reactors, temperature flying can take place, which may be restrained by increasing the feed flow rate or by lowering the operation temperature. The reaction capacity of the membrane reactor is mainly determined by the oxygen permeation rate rather than by the POM reaction rate on the catalyst. In order to improve the membrane reactor performance, reduction of mass transfer resistance in the catalyst bed is necessary. Using the smaller membrane tubes is an effective way to achieve a higher reaction capacity, but the pressure drop is a severe problem to be faced. The methane feed velocity for the operation of mixed conducting membrane reactors should be carefully regulated so as to obtain the maximum syngas yield, which can be estimated from their oxygen permeability. The mathematical model and the kinetic parameters have been validated by comparing modeling results with the experimental data for the La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3‐α (LSCF) membrane reactor. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Transient kinetics of n‐butane partial oxidation at elevated pressure

A transient Mars‐van Krevelen type kinetic model was developed for n‐butane partial oxidation over vanadyl pyrophosphate (VPP) catalyst. The model validity was verified over a relatively wide range of redox feed compositions as well as higher reactor pressure (410 kPa). Oxygen and n‐butane conversion increased with higher pressure while maleic anhydride (MA) selectivity decreased by as much as 20%. However, the overall MA yield was enhanced by up to 30%. High pressure maintains the catalyst in a higher oxidation state (as long as there is sufficient oxygen in the gas phase) and as a consequence, the catalytic activity is improved together with MA yield. High pressure also affects the redox reaction rates and activation energies. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Computer Simulation of the Performance of a Downer‐Regenerator CFB for the Partial Oxidation of n‐Butane to Maleic Anhydride

A reactor model for a downer‐regenerator circulating fluidized‐bed (CFB) during the partial oxidation of n‐butane to maleic anhydride is presented. Upflow reactors (risers) suffer from severe solids back mixing and gas‐solids‐separation, in comparison down flow reactors exhibit a more uniform gas‐solids flow and reduced backmixing, resulting in narrower residence time distributions. Due to the sensitivity of the VPO catalyst to over‐reduction, downer reactors present an interesting alternative to riser reactors. The reactor models for the downer and the regenerator fluidized‐bed are coupled with reduction and oxidation kinetics for the catalyst, respectively. The influence of the solids residence time distributions for the combined system of both reactors on the oxidation state of the catalyst is explored by a novel newly developed oxygen loading distribution. Simulation results suggest the limited solids‐flux in downers restrict the maximum butane concentrations, while the scale‐up is predicted to be uncritical.     

Selectivity improvement using alternate flushing and reactant cycle steps

When a reactor is operated by alternately exposing the catalyst to hydrocarbon and oxygen, selectivity has been found to increase, but not for all partial oxidation products and not for all systems. In this study, multi-step periodic operation in which the catalyst is alternately exposed to hydrocarbon and air with an inert gas pulse between either or both of the reactant gases is examined. Partial oxidation of butadiene over a promoted vanadia molybdate catalyst was used. The influence of cycle period as well as the location and duration of the inert flush upon oxygenate production and yield was studied. Multi-step periodic operation using an inert gas for flushing was found not to be an attractive option for maleic anhydride from butadiene unless an increase in the yield of furan is desired.     

Oxidation of Butane to Maleic Anhydride using Vanadium Phosphate Catalysts: Comparison of Operation in Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions using a Gas-gas Periodic Flow Reactor

The use of a periodic flow reactor is described for the oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride to compare the catalytic performance of vanadium phosphate catalysts operating under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It is found that for the catalyst prepared via a standard VPO method, operation in the absence of oxygen leads to a very small enhancement in selectivity when butane concentrations in the range 0.9–2.9% are used. Operation in the absence of oxygen leads to very small differences in conversion such that the overall yield is enhanced and this effect is maximised for reactor feeds containing 1.5% butane. However, the enhancement is negligible when the catalyst is operated at high conversion required for commercial operation, indicating that reactors operating with continuous flow with aerobic conditions are preferred. Similar experiments are conducted for a catalyst prepared by the VPD method and, in contrast, this catalyst gives lower butane conversion and maleic anhydride selectivity when operated in the absence of oxygen.     

Catalytic Membrane Reactors – Lab Curiosity or Key Enabling Technology?

Two industrially interesting partial oxidations have been performed in catalytic membrane reactors with oxygen‐transporting membrane: aromatization of natural gas and oxidation of ammonia to nitric oxide. In both reactions, the oxygen used has been separated from air through a perovskite membrane, which also is the catalyst for the ammonia oxidation. When conducting the methane aromatization in an oxygen‐transporting membrane reactor, coke deposition is reduced and the aromatics yield is higher than that of a reference non‐oxidative fixed‐bed reactor.     

Redox kinetics of benzene oxidation to maleic anhydride

Steady state kinetics of the oxidation reaction have been determined with the help of a gradientless semi-differential, fixed-bed reactor. The Mars and van Krevelen phenomenological model satisfactorily correlates the experimental data but a modification of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model taking into account partial coverage of the catalyst surface with reaction intermediates is preferred. Transient kinetics have been studied with a new automated periodic-pulse reactor, directly connected to a gas chromatograph. The response of a catalyst (essentially V₂O₅–MoO₃) to reduction and oxidation has been investigated. The rate of bulk (lattice) oxygen utilization as well as the degree of carbon coverage are estimated by this technique. Selectivity is dependent on the oxidation state of the catalyst: high partial pressure of either benzene or oxyen and high temperatures are detrimental to selectivity.     

Temperature profile in a two-stage fixed bed reactor for catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas

Detailed axial temperature distribution has been studied in a two-stage process for catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas, which consists of two consecutive fixed bed reactors with oxygen or air separately introduced. The first stage of the reactor, packed with a combustion catalyst, is used for catalytic combustion of methane at low initial temperature. While the second stage, filled with a partial oxidation catalyst, is used for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas. A pilot-scale reactor packed with up to 80 g combustion catalyst and 80 g partial oxidation catalyst was employed. The effects of oxygen distribution in the two sections, and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) on the catalyst bed temperature profile, as well as conversion of methane and selectivities to syngas were investigated under atmospheric pressure. It is found that both oxygen splitting ratio and GHSV have significant influence on the temperature profile in the reactor, which can be explained by the synergetic effects of the fast exothermic oxidation reactions and the slow endothermic (steam and CO₂) reforming reactions. Almost no change in activity and selectivity was observed after a stability experiment for 300 h.     

固定床反应器中乙烯环氧化模拟计算及分析

采用二维拟均相反应器数学模型对国产 YS 型银催化剂的反应性能和反应器运行状况进行了模拟计算和操作分析,并与工业实际数据及相关实验研究结果进行了比较。计算结果和分析表明,相同反应操作条件下,提高乙烯和氧的浓度可加速反应的进行,增加环氧乙烷的产量,其中氧浓度的影响更大,其浓度提高可明显增加 EO 的选择性;二氧化碳对主、副反应均有抑制作用,其浓度提高对生产不利;适当增加抑制剂 EDC 的量有利于提高催化剂的选择性;提高操作空速有利于改善反应状况和提高 EO 产量。分析表明,甲烷致稳较氮气致稳具有明显的优越性,有利于改善催化剂床层的温度分布、提高反应器运行的热稳定性和 EO 生成的选择性。     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene, 1: Kinetic study on V/MgO

The reaction kinetics of the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene over a V/MgO catalyst were studied. Both propane and propene oxidation kinetics were measured independently to quantify the rates of the parallel and consecutive reactions to propene and carbon oxides. Specific experiments to evaluate reaction products effects showed that water inhibited reaction rates but co‐feeding CO₂ or propene had no measurable effect on selectivity or conversion. Kinetic data generated under integral reactor conditions and over an inert membrane reactor have also been used to estimate the kinetic parameters. Selectivity decreased as the oxygen partial pressure increased; however, propene yield was relatively insensitive to oxygen concentration. A dual site Mars‐van Krevelen model characterizes the reaction kinetics well. The role of lattice oxygen was established by alternating pulses of propane and oxygen. This redox model is able to predict the experimental tendencies observed in the three types of reactor studied.     

环己烷液相无催化氧化过程的多目标优化

对环己烷液相无催化氧化的四釜串联反应器系统,以过程转化率、选择性和生产能力等工艺指标为目标,考察了使诸目标得到合理优化时,各釜供气量、温度等参数的决策方案。结果表明应采用高进气量序列和低温度序列,并且在可行范围内应尽可能提高尾气氧浓度。     

Oxidative coupling of methane in fluidized- and packed-fluidized-bed reactors

Oxidative coupling of methane to higher hydrocarbons (C₂₊) using NaOH/CaO and pure CaO as catalyst was studied in fluidized- and packed-fluidized-bed reactors at 700°C to 800°C, partial pressures of methane from 0.5 to 0.7 bar and oxygen from 0.05 to 0.25 bar and a total pressure of ca 1 bar; oxygen conversion amounted generally to 50 to 100 %. C₂₊ selectivity depends for both reactors markedly on temperature and oxygen partial pressure. The optimum temperature ranges between 750 and 800°C. Highest selectivities (ca 76 %) were achieved at the lowest oxygen partial pressure (ca 0.06 bar); maximum yields (ca 13.5 %), however, were obtained at an oxygen partial pressure of ca 0.14 bar. The application of the fluidized-bed reactor is more favourable than the packed-fluidized-bed reactor with respect to operability and C₂₊ selectivity.     

Mathematical modeling and simulation for gas–liquid reactors

Gas–liquid reactors are widely used in many industrial processes such as oxidation, hydroformylation, chlorination, etc. The paper develops comprehensive model for reactors using the mixing cell approach. It incorporates heat and mass transfer effects in the film and uses a boundary element method to solve the film model equations. The fluxes obtained at the interface are then directly used as the link to the reactor model. Simple isothermal and non-isothermal reactions were numerically tested. Application to two industrially important case studies, chlorination of butanoic acid and oxidation of cyclohexane are briefly illustrated. For the autocatalytic chlorination of butanoic acid, the yield of desired product, monochlorobutanoic acid, is favored by the high degree of mixing in the liquid phase. Therefore, this reaction should be carried out in a CSTR. A series of five bubble tanks with parallel gas reactant feed for cyclohexane oxidation was also simulated. It was found that the cyclohexane conversion is low while the oxygen conversion is relatively high and almost constant in each tank. Due to the complex multistep nature of this reaction scheme, oxygen is consumed in many steps of oxidation and selectivity of main products (which are intermediate products in the reaction scheme) depends on the critical control of over-oxidation in the kinetic mechanism.     

Assessment of micro-structured fixed-bed reactors for highly exothermic gas-phase reactions

The application of micro-structured fixed-bed reactors for highly exothermic partial oxidation reactions and their comparison to established multi-tubular fixed-bed reactors was investigated by numerical simulation. As examples, the partial oxidations of butane to maleic anhydride and of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride were chosen. The simulation results revealed that the reactor productivity, i.e. the amount of product per unit of reactor volume, achievable in micro-structured fixed-bed reactors is between 2.5 and 7 times higher than in conventional multi-tubular fixed-bed reactors without the danger of excessive pressure drop. For the partial oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride this can be explained by the increased reactor efficiency caused by lower efficiency losses through heat and mass transfer limitations. In addition, maleic anhydride selectivities and yields are higher in micro-structured fixed-bed reactors. In the case of o-xylene oxidation to phthalic anhydride the main advantage is that egg-shell catalysts in the conventional fixed-bed reactor can be replaced by bulk catalysts in the micro-structured fixed-bed reactor. For this reaction, product selectivities are very similar for all reactor configurations. Thus the catalyst inventory and reactor productivity are strongly increased. This study underlines, that micro-structured fixed-bed reactors exhibit the potential to intensify large scale industrial processes significantly.     

Reaction and oxygen permeation studies in Sm0.4Ba0.6Fe0.8Co0.2O3 − δ membrane reactor for partial oxidation of methane to syngas

A disk-type Sm_0.4Ba_0.6Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3 − δ perovskite-type mixed-conducting membrane was applied to a membrane reactor for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas (CO + H₂). The reaction was carried out using Rh (1 wt%)/MgO catalyst by feeding CH₄ diluted with Ar. While CH₄ conversion increased and CO selectivity slightly decreased with increasing temperature, a high level of CH₄ conversion (90%) and a high selectivity to CO (98%) were observed at 1173 K. The oxygen flux was increased under the conditions for the catalytic partial oxidation of CH₄ compared with that measured when Ar was fed to the permeation side. We investigated the reaction pathways in the membrane reactor using different membrane reactor configurations and different kinds of gas. In the membrane reactor without the catalyst, the oxygen flux was not improved even when CH₄ was fed to the permeation side, whereas the oxygen flux was enhanced when CO or H₂ was fed. It is implied that the oxidation of CO and H₂ with the surface oxygen on the permeation side improves the oxygen flux through the membrane, and that CO₂ and H₂O react with CH₄ by reforming reactions to form syngas.     

Influence of Reactor Configuration on the Selective Oxidation of Glycerol over Au/TiO2

The oxidation of glycerol by molecular oxygen in the aqueous phase over Au/TiO₂ was investigated in both a batch reactor and a continuous upflow fixed bed reactor. The effects of catalyst particle size, gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, reaction temperature, dioxygen pressure, and solution pH were examined in the fixed bed system. The unique hydrodynamics of the fixed bed system allowed for secondary oxidation products such as tartronic acid and oxalic acid to form in substantial amounts, which contrasts the product distribution observed in a batch system. These results suggest that reactor configuration can play an important role in the observed product selectivity from oxidation reactions over highly active gold catalysts.     

外环流气升式反应器中催化丙烯环氧化反应

本论文研究了外环流气升式反应器中TS-1催化丙烯环氧化反应,以单位催化剂空时收率为目标,进行了反应工艺条件的优化,考察了结构参数,上升管与下降管横截面积之比Ar Ad对反应的影响。     

Factors affecting production of nonaqueous peracetic acid in tubular packed reactors

The synthesis of nonaqueous peracetic acid in acetone by acetaldehyde oxidation was carried out in a tubular packed reactor. The influencing factors of the reacting system including packing material, oxygen carrier, and reactor configuration were investigated. The results show that porous materials are inappropriate for peracetic acid synthesis and only non porous material with appropriate surface area can provide good peracetic acid selectivity and yield. Among the six kinds of packing material investigated, SA-5118 is the best one. As oxidizing gas, pure oxygen is superior to air. The optimum length-to-inner diameter ratio of the reactor is about 40. Under the proper reaction conditions, the highest peracetic acid yield of 84.15% and the highest selectivity of 93.34% can be achieved which indicates that the novel reacting system is effective and economical for nonaqueous peracetic acid production.     

Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol using membrane reactors: A comparative study with slurry-type reactors

The wet air oxidation of phenol over cerium mixed oxides has been carried in autoclave slurry-type reactor and also in a contactor type membrane reactor to assist about the benefits provided by the employment of the mesoporous top layer of a ceramic tubular membrane as catalyst (Ce mixed oxides) support. The effect of mixed oxide composition and use of Pt as dopant onto the phenol removal rate and selectivity towards mineralization have been studied on both types of reactor. For slurry-type reactors, two different autoclave reactors were used: one mechanically stirred highly pressurized, and the other magnetically stirred containing a porous stainless steel membrane as gas diffuser in an attempt to attain higher gas–liquid interfacial area. The performances of these reactors have been compared under similar reaction conditions (i.e. catalyst loading/liquid volume, temperature, phenol concentration) although the way in which reactants are fed to the reaction vessel (different among each other configuration) is clearly affecting the CWO phenol degradation route. From the catalytic systems studied, Pt doped Ce–Zr mixed oxides exhibit the best reaction performance in spite of the achieved phenol conversion levels are below 50%. For autoclave reactors, the gas feeding to the liquid volume by a membrane diffuser has almost no effect on phenol removal for the reaction conditions tested; whereas the catalytic membrane contactor type reactor clearly outperform autoclave reactor provided with membrane diffuser.