Due to the characteristics of the hydrogenation of edible oil, by far
the most common type of reactor has been the batch-type slurry hardene
r. Although continuous reactors offer several advantages compared to b
atch reactors, they are seldom used in the industry. This review paper
describes the most commonly used full-scale reactors, both batch and
continuous. Several different laboratory reactors are also described.
The experimental results obtained from those reactors indicate that it
is possible to achieve selectivites and reaction rates in a continuou
s reactor as high as in a slurry batch reactor.