Heterogeneous catalytic reactor

Heterogeneous catalytic reactors put emphasis on catalyst effectiveness factors and the heat and mass transfer implications.

The primary use for trickle-bed reactors is hydrotreatment reactions (hydrodesulfurization and hydrodemetalation of heavy crude oil,[2] hydrodeasphaltenization of coal tar[3]).

The rotating bed reactor is a rather new invention that shows high rates of mass transfer and good fluid mixing.

RBR type reactors have frequently been applied in high-value biocatalysis reactions, there offering convenient reuse of immobilized enzymes[4] while preventing mechanical damage of the solid-phase catalysts.

[5] RBR constructions are also emerging in the nuclear energy industry to purify liquid waste on the scale of 100's of cubic meters.

[6] A fluidized bed reactor suspends small particles of catalyst by the upward motion of the fluid to be reacted.

The fluid is typically a gas with a flow rate high enough to mix the particles without carrying them out of the reactor.

Slurry reactors can use very fine particles and this can lead to problems of separation of catalyst from the liquid.