CATALYST DEACTIVATION STUDIED BY CONVENTIONAL AND OSCILLATING MICROBALANCE REACTORS

The oligomerization of ethene over H-ZSM-5 has been used as a model re action for studying coke formation in two different microbalance react ors, a conventional microbalance and a new oscillating TEOM 1500 micro balance reactor. Significant gradients prevailed in the catalyst bed i n the basket of the conventional microbalance reactor even with this m oderately rapid and exothermal reaction, making it difficult to obtain true kinetic information. In the oscillating microbalance reactor the reactants are forced to flow through the catalyst bed in the same man ner as in a fixed-bed reactor and kinetic data could be obtained in th e absence of transport limitations in the catalyst layer.