Partial Oxidation of Alkanes in a Dual Bed Membrane Reactor

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ABSTRACTPI: Eduardo E. Wolf Institution: University of Notre DameProposal Number: 0224435Research:The short term objective of this work is to study the direct partial oxidation of propane to acrolein, a chemical intermediary, using a dual membrane reactor. This reactor has unique characteristics that can increase product yield, which is typically low for the propane to acrolein reaction when carried out in a conventional fixed bed reactor. The use of alkanes, such as propane, for the direct conversion by partial oxidation to acrolein is more attractive than the current process that uses propylene, a more expensive feedstock.The long term objective is to study, evaluate and optimize the capabilities of the dual bed membrane reactor. The reactor consists of an inert membrane, placed concentrically to the reactor tube wall. Catalyst is located between the membrane and the reactor wall and the membrane acts as a barrier between the oxidant (air/oxygen) and the reducing feed (propane) thus reducing the danger of flammability encountered in reactors with premixed feeds. What makes the dual bed membrane reactor unique is that it has two catalyst beds fed separately so that reaction conditions can be independently controlled in each bed. This is different from two reactors in series in that in the dual bed membrane reactor the two catalyst beds are connected. The gas phase intermediates emerging from the first bed are utilized in the second bed. It thus allows the independent control of temperature, catalysts, gas phase intermediates, and residence time in a single reactor.Impact:If the results are successful, the technology could be extended to other alkane functionalization reactions to provide a less energy intensive technology for the environmentally clean production of oxygenate intermediates for the chemical industry. The project will integrate research and teaching both at the graduate and undergraduate level.