抄録
A hydrogenation reactor with palladium as a catalytic membrane permeated by hydrogen was designed and the mechanism of the hydrogenation of ethylene was analyzed.
It was demonstrated by experiment that, where the resistance of mass transfer in the gas film can be neglected, the range of ethylene partial pressure was distinctly separated into two domains: one domain where the overall reaction rate is approximately proportional to the ethylene partial pressure and another where the overall rate is equal to the permeation rate of hydrogen into vacuum at constant hydrogen pressure.
The analysis demonstrated that the two domains correspond to the chemical reaction limitation and the limitation of hydrogen diffusion through the membrane, respectively. It was also demonstrated that the distinct separation of the domains is due to the large value of k0/ki, , which is the ratio of the rate constants of hydrogen dissolution into and out of the palladium membrane.
In addition, it was demonstrated that the permeatation rate is scarcely affected by a change in reaction rate under a certain condition. This was in good agreement with the experimental results.
