Gas-solid reaction-rate enhancement by pressure cycling

Abstract

An experimental study and mathematical modeling of the effects of external pressure cycling on gas-solid reactions have been conducted using the reduction of nickel oxide pellets by hy-drogen. Experiments were carried out in two phases: In the first phase, the intrinsic kinetic parameters were measured, and in the second phase, the gas-solid reaction was carried out under a constant or cycling external pressure. The effects of the frequency and amplitude of pressure cycling were studied at various reaction conditions. Pressure cycling substantially increases the overall rate of the reaction. A mathematical model was developed from the first principles to establish the extent of the overall reaction-rate enhancement and subsequently to analyze the experimental observations. The calculated values from the mathematical model are in good agreement with the experimental results. The effects are most pronounced when the overall rate under a constant pressure is controlled by diffusion. Depending on the reaction condition, a very large degree of rate enhancement could be achieved. Furthermore, low-amplitude pressure waves, like acoustic waves, could significantly increase the rates of gas-solid reactions.