Evaluation of the three phase transport reactor

A high aspect ratio chemical reactor for reacting a liquid with a gas in the presence of a finely divided catalyst was tested. The gas was sparged into the bottom of a tubular reactor with the slurry of liquid and catalyst flowing countercurrent to the gas. The liquid phase hydrogenation of alpha‐methylstyrene to cumene on a Pd. catalyst was studied in semibatch operation of the reactor with slurry recycle. The reacor was 1 1/2‐in. I.D. by 6‐ft. long. The following variables were studied at a temperature of 28°C and a pressure of 1 atm: superficial gas velocities of 1.1 to 3.3 cm/sec., and catalyst loadings from 0.4 to 2.0 gm. catalyst per liter. A model of the reactor was developed and successfully compared with the data.