Möglichkeiten und Grenzen deduktiven Vorgehens bei der Entwicklung technischer Katalysatoren

Possibilities and limitations of a deductive approach to the development of industrial catalysts . Solid catalysts are an integral part of most industrial reactors and catalyst development is thus a fundamental part of chemical reaction engineering. While most other chemical plant components can be designed and optimized on the basis of physical theory and well established correlations, such a procedure appears to be inapplicable in catalyst development. Empirical methods are always necessary in this field because the kinetics of chemical reactions taking place at the active component cannot be quantitatively predicted by theory. A stringent analytical approach is needed to deduce the kinetics of chemical transformation at the site of catalytic activity from the observed reactor behaviour. It is then possible to design and optimize the morphology of the catalyst, taking into account the coupling of chemical reactions with transport phenomena. The development of industrial catalysts can be a rational undertaking if empiricism is complemented by engineering principles.