Palladium mass transfer resistances

In three-phase reactors, one of the main problems is often the mass transport limitations, which may reflect internal as well as external mass transfer resistances. The use of filamentous catalytic materials for multiphase reactions may help reduce or even avoid mass transfer limitations [63,132,133]. Filamentous woven cloths made of glass, composite mixed oxides, metallic alloys, or activated carbon (Figure 18) can be used as supports for active components such as platinum, palladium, or transition metal oxides. The diameters of the filaments are of the order of several micrometers and correspond to the typical diameters of catalysts that are suspended in the reaction medium. By using such small diameters, internal mass transfer limitations can be avoided. 

Johnson et al. (J4) investigated the hydrogenation of a-methylstyrene catalyzed by a palladium-alumina catalyst suspended in a stirred reactor. The experimental data have recently been reinterpreted in a paper by Polejes and Hougen (P4), in which the original treatment is extended to take account of variations in catalyst loading, variations in impeller type, and variations of gas-phase composition. Empirical correlations for liquid-side resistance to gas-liquid and liquid-solid mass transfer are presented. 

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