Test Units for Process Intensification

These Catalytic Test Units (CTUs) can be used for many specialty chemical processes, fine chemical and pharmaceutical chemistries, such as: hydrogenation, amination and dehydrochlorination. When used with Applied Catalysts activated carbon monolith catalysts (ACMC®), in addition to process intensification (high productivity), the advantages include: higher selectivity, better thermal management, and low pressure drop/low attrition. Three reactors systems have been designed for catalyst screening. The single catalyst testing unit, the multiple catalyst testing unit, and the catalyst lifetime/recycle reactor testing unit. The CTU systems feature gas phase uptake measurements and differential temperature measurements, which can be used as a first level screen of catalytic activity for hydrogenation and other chemistries where gas phase products are consumed.

A four reactor version of the Catalyst Screening reactor that allows for higher through-put screening.

Features

Flow, temperature, and pressure readings are all displayed and recorded on custom software with easy interface to a third-party trending/data program.

Safety features include:

• Pressure relief valves
• Normally closed valves after feed mass flow controllers
• PLC set temperature limits

Advanced features for high pressure, liquid level sensing, and recycle can be designed on a custom basis.

References 

Robert J. Gulotty, Jr., Stephanie Rish, Andrew Boyd, Lee Mitchell, Scott Plageman, Corinne McGill, Joseph Keller, Jeter Starnes, John Stadalsky and George Garrison, “Run Parameters for a Continuous Hydrogenation Process Using ACMC-Pd To Replace Commercial Batch Reactor Processes”, OPR&D DOI 10.1021/acs.oprd.8b00286