No abstract

Gas–liquid reactions (such as aqueous phase hydrogenations) are frequently mass transport limited. Characterization of reactor overall mass transport performance is key to the successful transfer of reactions across scales or between plants. Despite this need, prediction of mass-transfer performance remains elusive. In this paper, the authors adapt the pressure step method of Teramoto et al. for use in a 1.3 m3 vessel by explicitly accounting for background pressure loss. The method is found to produce theoretically sound results rapidly, with measured hydrogen solubility in water agreeing well with the literature. The measured values of the overall mass-transfer coefficient, k L a, are compared to those predicted by published correlations and modeling tools, which are found to give generally poor predictive performance.