Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions in Dehydrogenation of 2-Propanol to Acetone

Abstract

An attempt is made to improve the thermal efficiency of chemical reactions and an endothermic dehydrogenation of alcohol is carried out concurrently with an exothermic oxidation. in one reactor where both reactions produce the same ketone or aldehyde. The dehydro genation rate of 2-propanol over copper oxide-zinc oxide catalyst is expressed by a LangmuirHinshelwood type rate equation in which the effects of oxidation products are taken into account. Oxidation is found to occur in competition with dehydrogenation and, therefore, the reaction rate of 2-propanol is expressed by the sum of the two reactions. Stability analysis of the present reaction system is also made and the resultant steady-state operating temperature range is in accord with experiment.