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The use of monolithic catalysts in multiphase applications has received increasing interest throughout the last years. In this paper the use of monolithic catalysts in the hydrogenation of edible oils is studied. In comparative experiments the monolithic catalysts have shown a lower tendency to form trans-fatty acids compared to slurry catalysts with equal composition. It is also demonstrated that the monolithic catalyst could be reused several times without significant changes in the product composition. With respect to the effect of the operating parameters on the performance, common knowledge applies. By using a monolithic-catalyst-based technology, the process complexity can be significantly reduced as the separation of the oil and the catalyst becomes straightforward and the filtration and bleach steps are eliminated. An economic evaluation showed a significant reduction in the product cost when monoliths are used instead of a conventional slurry system.

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Honeycomb-shaped monolithic catalysts offer an attractive solution to the long-standing problem of balancing the reactor pressure drop with mass transfer in fixed-bed reactors. This approach is discussed in detail in this paper based on experimental and modeling data for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene. An extruded monolithic catalyst was found to be stable and active for the ethylbenzene dehydrogenation reaction. The pressure drop across the monolithic catalyst bed is about 20 times less than that of a packed bed of conventional 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) catalyst beads. The low pressure drop nature of a monolithic catalyst makes it feasible to convert conventional radial flow reactors into simpler, axial flow reactor designs. Modeling results show that additional process performance improvements can be realized through novel reactor designs that take advantage of monolithic catalysts.

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