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A Hydrodynamic Study of Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation in a Micro-Packed Bed Reactor

Al-Rifai, N; Morad, M; Leivadarou, G; Cao, E; Brett, G; Hutchings, GJ; Gavriilidis, A; (2014) A Hydrodynamic Study of Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation in a Micro-Packed Bed Reactor. In: Karayiannis, T and Konig, CS and Balabani, S, (eds.) 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference. Green open access

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Abstract

The various flow regimes prevalent during gold-palladium catalyzed benzyl alcohol oxidation in a micro-packed bed reactor and their influence on reaction performance are identified. The reaction is studied in a 300μm deep x 600μm wide silicon-glass micro-structured reactor packed with 65μm catalyst particles at a temperature of 120°C, pressure of 1 bar (g), using pure oxygen and neat benzyl alcohol as the feed. Significant improvement in the conversion and selectivity to the main product, benzaldehyde, is observed with increasing gas flowrate and decreasing liquid flowrate, which coincides with a change in the flow pattern from “liquid-dominated slug” (segregated regions of liquid and gas slugs) to “gas-continuous trickle” (thin film coated catalyst particles with gas flowing through the voids). The latter flow regime results in enhanced external mass transfer due to an increase in the available interfacial area and shorter diffusional distances. Results show selectivity up to 81% at a catalyst space time of 76 gcatgalc -1.s, outperforming a conventional batch laboratory reactor.

Type: Proceedings paper
Title: A Hydrodynamic Study of Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation in a Micro-Packed Bed Reactor
Event: MNF 2014: 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference, 7-10 September 2014, London, UK
Location: London
Dates: 07 September 2014 - 10 September 2014
ISBN-13: 9781908549167
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: http://www.mnf2014.com/index.htm
Language: English
Additional information: This is the published version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Multiphase hydrodynamics, Catalytic alcohol aerobic oxidation
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1475910
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