Process intensification in catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol via coupling gas‐liquid microdispersion with trickle bed reactors

Abstract

Intensified trickle bed reactors were developed for catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of phenol, by generating microbubbles before gas/liquid fluid flows along catalyst packed-beds. By coupling gas-liquid microdispersion module, phenol disappearance rate significantly increases under the same operating conditions and phenol conversion reaches 92% in 22 seconds at 160 C and 1000 kPa. Effects of operating conditions were studied systematically and results demonstrated characteristics of high-interaction regime at low Reynolds number. Comparison of effects among mass transfer and reaction steps shows CWAO reaction is controlled by resistance to liquid-solid mass transfer of phenol in most cases, while gas-liquid mass-transfer-resistance is ignorable. A dimensionless correlation, Sh = 2.29φ −0.91 (Re L + Re G ) 0.04 , was established, by considering influences of liquid film thickness and fluid flow situations on liquid-solid mass transfer coefficient in microbubblein-liquid/catalyst-particle system. The study would provide an effective method for intensifying CWAO and other liquid-solid-mass-transfer-resistance-controlled gas/ liquid/solid catalytic reactions and help understand mass transfer mechanism in new gas/liquid/solid system. K E Y W O R D Sintensified process fundamentals, modeling and simulation, process intensification

Welcome to the second year of the Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing

“…We look forward to more articles that connect process analysis with life cycle assessment using explicit process modeling and connecting advanced manufacturing with societal well-being. [2] Another important theme for the journal has been the design and study of modular and intensified processes, [10][11][12][13] and the technologies that can support them, such as 3D printing and other additive manufacturing techniques. [14] Neal et al [11] propose a modular ethane-to-liquids system based on using chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation technology to convert ethane and natural gas liquids via cyclic redox reactions of highly effective redox catalyst particles.…”

“…It provides a simplified process scheme and energy reduction. Tan et al [12] describe a method to improve the catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol in a trickle bed reactor by using a gas microdispersion unit. Maußner et al [10] propose a flexible chemical reactor design strategy to enable the use of multiple different bio-based feedstocks to produce a desired product.…”