Low-pressure microreactor system for kinetic studies on high surface area catalysts in the pressure gap -: art. no. 024102

We describe a low-pressure plug-flow microreactor system for investigating reaction kinetics on high surface area catalysts over a wide pressure range, covering the so-called pressure gap. Well defined gas flows with rates spanning over six orders of magnitude, from 100 Nml/min down to 0.5 Nmul/min, are produced using a capillary system for gas flow control. This allows us to measure reaction rates at constant contact time, despite widely differing pressures. The performance of the reactor system is demonstrated by test measurements on the kinetics for CO oxidation over a Au/TiO2 catalyst, covering a pressure range from 1000 mbar to 10(-1) mbar total pressure, equivalent to CO partial pressures of 10 mbar to 10(-3) mbar. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.