Hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics

Since steps 2-4 are quasi-equilibrated under the conditions of the kinetic studies, the following simplified rate expression may be derived to described the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions ... 

Duration of a cycle of HHP operation is defined as time required for reaction hydrogenation/dehydrogenation in pair hydride system. This time determines heat capacity of HHP. Duration of a cycle depends on kinetics of hydrogenation reactions, a heat transfer between the heated up and cooling environment, heat conductivities of hydride beds. Rates of reactions are proportional to a difference of dynamic pressure of hydrogen in sorbers of HHP and to constants of chemical reaction of hydrogenation. The relation of dynamic pressure is adjusted by characteristics of a heat emission in beds of metal hydride particles (the heat emission of a hydride bed depends on its effective specific heat conductivity) and connected to total factor of a heat transfer of system a sorber-heat exchanger. The modified constant of speed, as function of temperature in isobaric process [1], can characterize kinetics of sorption reactions. In HHP it is not sense to use hydrides with a low kinetics of reactions. The basic condition of an acceptability of hydride for HHP is a condition of forward rate of chemical reactions in relation to rate of a heat transmission. 

For all temperatures, the addition of transition metal compounds enhances the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation kinetics. Metal oxide, chloride or fluoride additions lead to a signiflcant enhancement ofthe reaction kinetics, especially during desorption [57]. 

The discussion to this point has emphasized kinetics of catalytic reactions on a uniform surface where only one type of active site participates in the reaction. Bifunctional catalysts operate by utilizing two different types of catalytic sites on the same solid. For example, hydrocarbon reforming reactions that are used to upgrade motor fuels are catalyzed by platinum particles supported on acidified alumina. Extensive research revealed that the metallic function of Pt/Al203 catalyzes hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, whereas the acidic function of the support facilitates skeletal isomerization of alkenes. The isomerization of n-pentane (N) to isopentane (I) is used to illustrate the kinetic sequence associated with a bifunctional Pt/Al203 catalyst ... 

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