The control of the temperature of endothermic reactions in flow systems

Abstract

The type of flow system which is convenient for investigating the kinetics of many chemical reactions presents special difficulties of temperature control which become increasingly acute the greater the speed of the reaction. If the change is highly endothermic the problem of maintaining a distribution of temperature uniform in space as well as in time becomes of great importance, and unless special precautions are taken the spatial distribution may vary considerably with changes in the rate of reaction. An apparatus is described, utilizing two relay circuits operated by suitably spaced thermocouples, by which the desired automatic regulation of temperature can be achieved.