ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

A three-phase nonequilibrium model for catalytic distillation

Marcel Kotora, Zuzana Švandová, and Jozef Markoš

Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

E-mail: jozef.markos@stuba.sk

Received: 9 June 2008  Revised: 4 November 2008  Accepted: 18 November 2008

Abstract: Nonequilibrium model for steady state simulation of catalytic distillation is presented. Mathematical model takes into account both mass and heat transfers across the gas liquid interface and through the liquid-solid (catalyst) interface. Equations describing the mentioned phenomena are based on the effective diffusivity approach. The resulting system of nonlinear algebraic equations was implemented in the FORTRAN programming language and solved by the BUNLSI (Ferraris & Tronconi, 1986) solver. The described model was verified using the experimental data obtained from a continuous distillation column equipped with catalytic packing. As an experimental model system, synthesis of propyl propionate from propan-1-ol and propionic acid was chosen. Comparison of experimental and simulation data is presented, and appropriateness of the developed model for other types of catalytic distillation processes is discussed.

Keywords: nonequilibrium model - catalytic distillation - reactive distillation - propyl propionate synthesis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-009-0004-z

Chemical Papers 63 (2) 197–204 (2009)