Properties of Partially Deactivated Reactors with Applications in Bifunctional Catalysis

Abstract

It is shown theoretically that the reaction paths and the product distribution in partially deactivated fixed-bed reactors depend on the catalyst activity profile, the direction of flow, and the space velocity. These "directional effects," which are more pronounced in bifunctional catalysis, suggest new degrees of freedom in reactor design and operation and may be useful in the interpretation of kinetic experiments. The theory is applied to pentane isomerization and naphtha reforming, indicating that in pentane isomerization the effects under consideration are very small. In naphtha reforming on the other hand, the effects are significant. Numerical calculations show that conversion and selectivity can change by as much as 25% when the direction of flow is reversed.

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