Choice of laboratory scale reactors for HDT kinetic studies or catalyst tests

• Published in: Catalysis today Vol. 98; no. 1; pp. 31 - 42
• Main Authors: Pitault, Isabelle, Fongarland, Pascal, Mitrovic, Marijana, Ronze, Didier, Forissier, Michel
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 24.11.2004; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic basket; Chemical and Process Engineering; Chemical engineering; Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; General and physical chemistry; Laboratory scale reactors; Mass transfer; Processing of crude oil and oils from shales and tar sands. Processes. Equipment. Refinery and treatment units; Stirred tank; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Trickle bed; Stirred tank; Catalytic basket; Laboratory scale reactors; Mass transfer; Trickle bed; Heterogeneous catalysis; Catalytic reaction; Hydrotreating; Laboratory scale; Kinetics; Reactor; Catalyst
• ISSN: 0920-5861; 1873-4308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2004.07.051

Making a choice of laboratory scale reactor for kinetic studies or catalyst tests is not an easy task above all in case of three-phase reactions. In this paper, four technologies are discussed pointing up their advantages and their drawbacks. The four technologies are packed-bed reactor in downflow or upflow modes, stirred tank reactors with crushed catalyst and stirred tank reactors with catalytic basket in batch, semi-batch or continuous modes. Finally comparisons of the technologies in terms of gas–liquid and liquid–solid mass transfers are given. Using those criteria, we observe that slurry stirred tank reactors are the best systems to test crushed catalyst. Moreover, stirred tank reactors with catalytic basket equipped with gas inducing impeller are good tools to test shaped catalysts if operating conditions are favorable to operate the turbine efficiently.