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The hydrogenolysis of n‐Butane on a nickel on silica catalyst: II Fluidized bed studies
Author(s) -
Orlickas A.,
Hoffman T. W.,
Shaw I. D.,
Reilly P. M.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450500514
Subject(s) - fluidized bed , hydrogenolysis , butane , fluidization , pilot plant , catalysis , nickel , thermodynamics , materials science , chemical engineering , chemistry , waste management , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering , physics
This study was undertaken to obtain experience in developing steady‐state mathematical models of full‐scale chemical reactors through the use of a combination of bench‐scale experiments and actual plant operating data. In this case, the hydrogenolysis of n‐butane on a nickel on silica gel catalyst was studied in a %inch diameter pilot plant fluidized bed reactor. The kinetic parameters in a mechanistic reaction model were obtained in a bench‐scale integral reactor and these rate equations were included in a simple two‐phase fluidized bed model. The parameter relating to interchange of gas between bubbles and emulsion was determined from the fluidized bed data. A comparison of the predicted and observed selectivities suggested a weakness in the kinetic model. This shortcoming was then partially corrected by using the fluidized bed data. In this way, a reactor model was achieved which was satisfactory for overall plant simulations.