EQUILIBRIUM SHIFT OF DEHYDROGENATION AT SHORT SPACE-TIME WITH HOLLOW FIBER CERAMIC MEMBRANE

A new catalytic reactor is proposed, where a gamma-alumina thin membrane supported on the inner surface of an alpha-alumina hollow fiber is installed and catalyst particles are loaded around the hollow fiber. The conversion for dehydrogenation of cyclohexane is successfully increased beyond the equilibrium value by removing generated hydrogen from the feed side. Permeability through the gamma-alumina membrane is much larger than that through commercial porous glass membrane, and thereby an equilibrium shift is attained at a much shorter space-time compared with the results in the literature. The conversion is further improved by packing the catalyst in the upstream of the membrane especially when the flow rate is high.