DEHYDROGENATION OF BUTENE-1 - EFFECT OF COKING ON REACTOR PERFORMANCE

The dehydrogenation of butene-1 over a chromia-alumina catalyst has be en used to study the distribution and concentration of the coke deposi ted along a fixed bed reactor using different feed concentrations of b utene-1. Axial temperature measurements showed a steep initial tempera ture minimum followed by a subsequent shallower minimum. Corresponding coke profiles were determined using a microbalance and confirmed by t he non-invasive neutron attenuation technique. These together with det erminations of exit gas concentrations suggest that coke is formed pri marily from the reaction product butadiene, and that this coke deposit limits further formation of this product and thus decreases further c oke formation.