Abstract - Schmidt Oxidation reactions are difficult to manage because in most situations they exhibit a complex interplay between surface reactions, mass transfer, heat transfer, and homogeneous reaction. These factors produce complicated experimental behavior in terms of temperature variations across the reactor, flow patterns, multiple steady states, and reaction selectivity. It has been estimated that one-half of all industrial catalytic processes are oxidation reaction which are difficult to characterize under laboratory conditions. If this is done by lowering pressures and temperatures to obtain rates and selectivities without interference from heat and mass transfer and homogeneous reaction, then the results may have little relevance to an atmospheric pressure industrial reactor. The principal investigators plan an experimental and modeling program to characterize catalytic oxidation reactions and reactors in situations which would be useful in designing new configurations for chemical synthesis by partial oxidation and for pollution abatement by total oxidation. They will consider novel reactor geometries designed to manipulate flow patterns and residence times to adjust heat and mass transfer and contacting in order to attain maximum selectivity to a desired product. Various types of catalytic monoliths and also fluidized beds will be used to achieve very high mass and heat transfer rates and very short residence times in adiabatic reactors so that the yields of intermediates can be maximized. Reactors will be operated adiabatically to allow reaction heat to determine reactor temperature and to si mulate industrial reactors more closely. Staged monoliths will also be examined to determine how systematic variations in reactor with position can be used to control performance. Catalyst geometries, flow conditions, and temperatures will be altered such that wide variations in these properties can be attained. n 7 ÕSPL152FTMP n 7 ÕSPL1671TMP n 7 Abstract - Schmidt Oxidation reactions are difficult to manage because in most situations they exhibit a complex interplay b + + ! ! ! D + + ( Times New Roman Symbol & Arial " h E E E R / Maria K. Burka Maria K. Burka
