Kinetic column dimension

Figure 14.16 Elution peaks of 3-phenyl-l-propanol for various loadings. Experimental data (symbols) and best fit of the kinetic model (line). Stationary phase Vy-dac 201THP ODS silica (10 particles, 300 Apores, 56 m /g) column dimensions 150 x 4.6 mm. Mobile phase Fn = 1 mL/min methanol-water (25 75) 30°C sample volume 100 WL. The figure on each curve is the sample size (jimol). Reproduced with permission from C.A. Lucy, J.L. Wade and P.W. Carr,. Chromatogr., 484 (1989) 61 (Fig. 1).

The packed bed reactor is used to contact fluids with solids. It is one of the most widely used industrial reactors and may or may not be catalytic. The bed is usually a column with the actual dimensions influenced by temperature and pressure drop in addition to the reaction kinetics. Heat limitations may require a small diameter tube, in which case total through-put requirements are maintained by the use of multiple tubes. This reduces the effect of hot spots in the reactor. For catalytic packed beds, regeneration is a problem for continuous operation. If a catalyst with a short life is required, then shifting between two columns may be necessary to maintain continuous operation. 

---