Catalyst deactivation is an important, sometimes controlling, factor in many processed invloving catalytic chemical transformations. There are three major categories of deactivation: (1) Poisoning-the loss of activity by selective chemisorption of strongly bound impurties on the surface (2) Coking or fouling-the loss of activity by the for the formation of carbonaceous residues (3) sintering-the loss of activity by agglomeration producing loss of active surface area. Often more than one of thes mechanisms can act simultaneoulsy, particularly for reactions conducted at severe condition and with complex feed mixtures. This research project focusses on the congruent effects of catalyst decay by chemical poisoning and by coke formation, processes (1) and (2) above. The PI plans both theoretical analysis and experimental verification of the effects of these two processes on the dynamics of fixed bed catlystic the modification of diffusional limitations on rector performance by catalyst deactivation, both with respect to the influence on themain reaction considered as well as the rate of deactivation itself. Individual modes of deactivation as well as their combination will be studied.
