Continuous flow apparatus microreactor

Apparatus. The catalytic conversion was studied in a continuous flow quartz microreactor with a fixed-bed of diluted catalysts. The reaction conditions are reported in Table 1. After an experimental run (about 3 to 4 hours), the tar on the catalytic bed was determined by taking the difference in weight of the reactor before and after placing it in a furnace set at 500 C in the presence of air. The reaction products were analyzed by GC and GC/MS (Table 1). 

Catalytic testa have been carried out in a continuous-flow fixed-bed glass microreactor at atmospheric pressure equipped with on-line gas chromatographs. Other details on the apparatus were reported previously [6,7], Unless otherwise indicated, the standard reaction conditions were 0.8% 1-butene, 20% 02 and 20% H20 in helium. The total flow at STP was 3,6 LA with 2,5 g of catalyst. 

Detailed investigation of the reaction mechanism was performed using a TAP reactor (Autoclave Engineers). Both the TAP apparatus and technique have been described in detail by the inventors [7,8], and otdy those aspects most relevant to this study will be included here. The system comprises four main features (i) a valve assembly which permits the introduction of either a very narrow gas pulse or a continuous flow, (ii) a catalytic microreactor, (iii) a high vacuum system, (iv) a quadrupole mass spectrometer. 

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