Catalytic Hydrogenation of Crotonaldehyde in Trickle-bed Reactor

C. Uraz, S. Atalay and F. S. Atalay

Abstract
The liquid-phase hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde to n-butyraldehyde, was investigated. A palladium based commercial catalyst (w = 0.05 % Pd on Al2O3) was used in a laboratory scale trickle-bed reactor. The influence of temperature on the reaction, crotonaldehyde and hydrogen flow rates satisfying trickle flow conditions, and the appropriate space velocity LHSV and space time ranges, were searched. The operating conditions were proposed as the temperature range of 30 – 50 °C, the LHSV space velocity range of 2 – 7 h–1, and the space time (mw/FCAo) range of 250 – 4108 g min mol–1, at constant hydrogen/crotonaldehyde molar ratio as 2:1, at atmospheric pressure. Kinetic experiments were performed to calculate the reaction rates and then to explore the rate expression in trickle-bed reactor. The data between space time and conversion were evaluated at the different studied temperatures and the relation between these parameters was derived by regression. The reaction rates were calculated by differentiation of the derived equations. The reaction rate expression was derived by using “Power Law” model. Kinetic parameters were calculated by taking into consideration external and internal mass transfer resistances.

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Keywords
Liquid-phase hydrogenation, crotonaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, trickle-bed reactor