Chapter 16: Reaction Engineering of Oxidation Reactions Check Access

Going from analytical characterization of solid-state catalysts to their application in selected reactor systems on a laboratory or industrial scale, the chemist is confronted with several challenges that are related to the field of chemical engineering. The most important engineering aspects are summarized in the understanding of reaction kinetics, mass and heat transfer effects, residence time distribution, catalyst stability and reactor safety that shall therefore be addressed in this chapter. While the minimum requirements for the implementation of a chemical process are provided by the catalyst performance, the interplay of the mentioned parameters together with reactor design and operation mode state a powerful tool for further optimization of a chemical process. The field of reaction engineering mostly deals with questions regarding solely the reactor unit, while another important attribute of an industrial scale process is also the extensive product processing.