A CATALYTIC FLOW REACTOR FOR KINETIC-STUDIES OF MULTICOMPONENT REACTING MIXTURES ON SUPPORTED CATALYSTS

Our catalytic flow reactor presents several advantages for kinetic studies of heterogeneous chemistry on supported catalysts. This experimental facility enables determinations of the reaction rates of individual species at high conversion levels under isothermal conditions with multicomponent mixtures. Reaction rates are determined simultaneously for any number of species at points along supported catalysts under typical exhaust conditions, allowing detailed characterization of selectivities and inhibition effects. Tight thermal control permits the observation of species with widely varying reactivities, a situation that is typical in exhaust aftertreatment applications. The reactor is ideally suited to studying reaction kinetics under either reducing or oxidizing conditions, as demonstrated by reactant profile data measured with both lean and rich hydrocarbon exhaust streams. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.