Laboratory-scale continuous hydrogenation

Data required for modeling and simulation of continuous hydrogenation kinetics have been obtained in an isothernal, cocurrent flow-type reactor. A preheated suspension of catalyst in oil, mixed with hydrogen, is passed cocurrently through 10 m length of 0.12 cm ID Teflon tubing at flow rates varying from 1.5 to 4.5 ml/min, gas flow rates from 100 to 700 ml/min, and temperatures from 150 to 190 C. The hydrogenations are run using nickel catalyst at outlet pressures of one atmosphere. Samples are removed at equal intervals along the length of the reactor and analyzed by gas chromatography. The kinetics of the continuous reactor are satisfactorily modeled by the simple scheme Ln→Lo→01→S using first order kinetics. Reaction rates, calculated by a digital computer, are shown to be related to temperature by the Arrhenius equation.trans Content and degree of hydrogenation are increased with temperature are decreased as oil flow increases. Hydrogen flow rate has little or no effect over the range studied.