Heat transfer sintering

The produrtive capacity of a sintering strand is related directly to the rate at which the burning zone moves downward through the bed. This rate, which is of the order of 2.5 cm/min (1 in/min), is controlled by the air rate through the bed, with the air functioning as the heat-transfer medium. 

The heat transfer and pressure drop in a rectangular channel with sintered porous inserts, made of stainless steels of different porosity, were investigated. The experimental set-up is shown in Fig. 2.9. Heat fluxes up to 6MW/m were removed by using samples with a porosity of 32% and an average pore diameter of 20 pm. Under these experimental conditions, the temperature difference between the wall and the bulk water did not exceed AT = 55 K at a pressure drop of AP = 4.5 bars (Hetsroni et al. 2006a). 

Sintered metal fibers with filaments of uniform size (2-40 (tm), made of SS, Inconel, or Fecralloy , are fabricated in the form of panels. Gauzes based on thicker wires (100-250 tm) are made from SS, nickel, or copper. They have a low surface area of about 10 m g. Several procedures are used to increase the surface area, for example, leaching procedures, analogous to the production of Ra-Nickel, and electrophoretic deposition of particles or colloid suspensions. The porosity of structures formed from metal fibers range from 70 to 90%. The heat transfer coefficients are high, up to 2 times larger than for random packed beds [67]. 

A review of the measurements below 100 mK has been done by Harrison in 1979 [58], whereas a study of the heat transfer between helium and sintered metals is due to Rutherford et al. in 1984 [59], A measurement of Kapitza resistance between Mylar and helium around 2K is reported in ref. [60],... 

Duty heat transfer coefficients, 13 203-204 Duvadilan, molecular formula and structure, 5 11 It Dwight-Lloyd continuous sintering machine, 16 141... 

Truly isothermal operation of a tubular reactor may not be feasible in practice because of large enthalpies of reaction or poor heat transfer characteristics. Nor is it always desirable, as, for example, in the case of a reversible exothermic reaction (see Sect. 3.2.4). In an exothermic catalytic reaction, it may be necessary to provide adequate means for heat transfer to prevent the development of local hot-spots on which coking may occur and reduce the catalyst activity. An excessive temperature rise may also cause the catalyst particles to sinter, thereby reducing their surface area and causing an irreversible decrease in catalytic activity. 

All types of catalytic reactors with the catalyst in a fixed bed have some common drawbacks, which are characteristic of stationary beds (Mukhlyonov et al., 1979). First, only comparatively large-grain catalysts, not less that 4 mm in diameter, can be used in a filtering bed, since smaller particles cause increased pressure drop. Second, the area of the inner surface of large particles is utilized poorly and this results in a decrease in the utilization (capacity) of the catalyst. Moreover, the particles of a stationary bed tend to sinter and cake, which results in an increased pressure drop, uneven distribution of the gas, and lower catalyst activity. Finally, porous catalyst pellets exhibit low heat conductivity and as a result the rate of heat transfer from the bed to the heat exchanger surface is very low. Intensive heat removal and a uniform temperature distribution over the cross-section of a stationary bed cannot, therefore, be achieved. The poor conditions of heat transfer within... 

Two other crucial factors are mass transfer and heat transfer. In Chapter 3 we assumed that the reactions were homogeneous and well stirred, so that every substrate molecule had an equal chance of getting to the catalytic intermediates. Here the situation is different. When a molecule reaches the macroscopic catalyst particle, there is no guarantee that it will react further. In porous materials, the reactant must first diffuse into the pores. Once adsorbed, the molecule may need to travel on the surface, in order to reach the active site. The same holds for the exit of the product molecule, as well as for the transfer of heat to and from the reaction site. In many gas/solid systems, the product is hot as it leaves the catalyst, and carries the excess energy out with it. This energy must dissipate through the catalyst particles and the reactor wall. Uneven heat transfer can lead to hotspots, sintering, and runaway reactions. 

In a reactor that is similar to a reformer, the reaction occurs in tubes that are heated externally to supply the endothermic heat of reaction129. Sintered corundum (a-Al203) tubes with an internal layer ( 15 microns thick) of platinum/ruthenium catalyst are used, hi some cases a platinum/aluminum catalyst may be used. To achieve adequate heat transfer, the tubes may be only % in diameter and 6V2 feet long. Selectivities of 90-91% for methane and 83-84% for ammonia are reached at 1200°C to 1300°C reaction temperatures. 

Heat may be transferred directly as in the burning of solid fuel mixed with the particulates in the sintering of ores or indirectly as in the combustion of fuel to produce hot gases in pellet hardening. External heat transfer may also take place across a metallic surface as in drum and belt driers and flakers. 

Consequently, their use is best confined to short run or prototype use. In normal production, the improved heat transfer capability of a metal mold will more than repay the greater cost. Aluminum is most commonly used for thermoforming molds other options include cast or sprayed low melting point alloys, porous sintered metals, and copper alloys (Chapter 17). 

Some of the tool materials incorporate different special metals providing improvements in heat transfer, wear resistance of mating mold halves, etc. These special metals include beryllium copper alloy, brass, aluminum, kirksite, and sintered metal. 

A high surface area, however, is not always an advantage for catalytic reactions. In certain reactions, the fine pores impede intraparticle mass and heat transfer, which may result in lowering of the apparent catalyst activity, an unfavorable product distribution and/or in sintering of the catalyst. That is why surface areas higher than about 1000 m2 g4 are impractical. 

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