Monolith Reactor for the Dehydrogenation of Ethylbenzene to Styrene

Abstract

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.

Modellierung von Gas/Flüssig/Fest‐Reaktionen in engen Kanälen für das Regime der Kolbenströmung

“…Reaktionsapparate wie Mikroreaktoren und Monolithreaktoren profitieren von dieser Eigenschaft und erzielen im Vergleich zu konventionellen Mehrphasenreaktoren höhere Raum-Zeit-Ausbeuten und Selektivitäten [4,5]. Ursachen der guten Stofftransportcharakteristik liegen in den kurzen Diffusionswegen des gasförmigen Eduktes aus der Gasblase durch einen dünnen Flüssigkeitsfilm zur Katalysatoroberfläche und in der intensiven Durchmischung innerhalb der Flüssigkeitskolben aufgrund einer laminaren Zirkulationsströmung [6].…”

Monoliths as multiphase reactors: A review

“…The one proposed by Irandoust gained more attention and was subsequently used by other researchers (Edvinsson et al, 1994;Stankiewicz et al, 2001). More recently, Liu et al (2002) and Roy et al (2002) dealt with monolith reactors operated in the film-flow regime, which is more akin to the trickle-flow regime in packed beds. In the model developed by Irandoust et al (1988), and later adopted by Edvinsson et al (1994) and others, plug flow was assumed in the liquid phase.…”

Customizable Heterogeneous Catalysts: Nonchanneled Advanced Monolithic Supports Manufactured by 3D-Printing for Improved Active Phase Coating Performance

“…The use of monoliths with cellular geometry as catalyst supports is becoming increasingly important compared to other supports − due to their advantages compared to traditional fixed-bed reactors, highlighting a greater external surface area of the exposed catalyst, lower pressure drop, reduction of internal and external mass transfer resistances, better heat transfer, reduction of incrustations and obstructions, ease of handling for cleaning and maintenance, and prevention of the particulate scattering and material loss. , Therefore, this is becoming the preferred format for heterogeneous catalysts for industrial applications.…”