Monolithic catalysts for the chemical industry

Honeycomb-shaped monolithic catalysts are the standard catalyst shape in most environmental applications. In the processes of the chemical industry, however, their current use is very limited. In this paper, the current status of the monolith technology for applications in the chemical industry is reviewed. Application areas in which monolithic catalysts have superior performance characteristics are discussed. Especially pre- and postreactors as well as replacement concepts for slurry reactors are expected to have a very good near-term potential for application in commercial operations. In addition, it is expected that several adiabatic fixed-bed processes, especially those constrained by pressure drop or mass transfer, can benefit from the use of monolithic catalysts because of their excellent pressure drop to mass transfer ratio. A new and promising area for monoliths with a high thermal conductivity is their use in various gas-phase processes where multitubular reactors are employed.