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Impact of gas-solid direct contact on gas-liquid-solid reaction performance in a flow reactor

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Abstract

Although gas-liquid-solid reactions, such as catalytic hydrogenation, have a long history, a fundamental understanding of the flow behavior and its effect on the reaction is lacking for flow chemistry applications using powder catalysts. This study revealed the distinctive effect of gas-solid direct contact on the surface of a powder catalyst. Direct gas–solid contact accelerates the reaction beyond the theoretical maximum of the batch reaction system, where gaseous species are supplied to the catalyst surface after dissolution into the liquid. The benefit of direct contact is further pronounced in systems with low-solubility gaseous species. Liquid holdup analysis revealed that the micro-concavities of the catalyst support is crucial for sustaining the liquid using capillary forces and supplying the liquid substrate to the catalyst surface even under high gas flow rate conditions. The gas-to-liquid flow rate ratio (G/L) is a decisive factor for direct gas–solid contact, whereas the flow direction, whether upflow or downflow, has no impact on powder catalysts with a size of a few hundred microns.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

Utilization of a powder catalyst in flow reactor enables direct gas-solid contact.

Accelerated reactions through gas-solid direct contact surpass the maximum rate in the reaction-controlled regime.

Micro-concavities of particles retain liquid in reactor and achieve stable reaction rate.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (grant numbers JP21H05083 and JP21H05082) and Joint Usage/Research Center for Catalysis. (Proposal #23CY0303). SA and SK acknowledge the support of the Cooperative Research Program of the Network Joint Research Center for Materials and Devices, supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), Japan. SA and YM acknowledge support from AUN/SEED-Net (Grant No. BUU REd-UC 2301) for Research and Education Grant for the University Consortium (Consortium name: CES-CHEM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan

    Shusaku Asano, Shinji Kudo & Jun-ichiro Hayashi

  2. Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan

    Shusaku Asano, Mizuki Matsushita & Jun-ichiro Hayashi

  3. Interdisciplinary Research Center for Catalytic Chemistry, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan

    Hiroyuki Miyamura

  4. Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Shū Kobayashi

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  1. Shusaku Asano
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  2. Hiroyuki Miyamura
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  3. Mizuki Matsushita
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  4. Shinji Kudo
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  5. Shū Kobayashi
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Correspondence to Shusaku Asano, Hiroyuki Miyamura or Shū Kobayashi.

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41981_2023_295_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Supplementary Material 1: The following supporting information is available: Mass transfer analysis, Liquid holdup calculation, Porosity analysis of Al2O3 support, Hydrogenation in batch reactor, Hydrogenation in gas phase (PDF).

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Asano, S., Miyamura, H., Matsushita, M. et al. Impact of gas-solid direct contact on gas-liquid-solid reaction performance in a flow reactor. J Flow Chem 14, 329–335 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41981-023-00295-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41981-023-00295-9

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