CFD and kinetic methods for mass transfer determination in a mesh microreactor

Abstract

The global gas-liquid-solid volumetric mass-transfer coefficient KLa of a catalytic multiphase microstructured film contactor, featuring 5 m dimensions, a 155 m liquid film thickness, and a 15 m thin catalytic layer is determined, using the very fast hydrogenation of -methylstyrene with a Pd/-alumina catalyst. The volumetric mass-transfer coefficients measured experimentally fall in the range 0.8 - 1.6 s-1 above that predicted by the film model and those obtained from a CFD (3-D model) simulation, and from an analytical solution