Abstract
Reaction kinetics for the catalytic dehydrogenation of sec‐butyl alcohol to methyl ethyl ketone has been investigated at atmospheric pressure and temperatures ranging from 650° to 750°F. in the presence of solid brass spheres, 1/8 in. in diameter. The nature of this catalyst permitted a direct evaluation of the surface involved in this reaction and allowed the definition of a surface‐feed ratio to be expressed as S/F in place of the conventional weightfeed ratio W/F commonly used in catalytic studies. Feed compositions ranged from secbutyl alcohol to mixtures containing high percentages of methyl ethyl ketone and hydrogen.
In these studies mass transfer effects were found to be significant and, for a proper representation of conditiated at the catalyst surface, must be taken into account. The effect of feed compositions on the initial rates of reaction showed that the rate‐controlling step was the desorption of hydrogen involving a single‐site mechanism.
In addition, the results of these studies have been used to produce values of height of reactor unit HRU which have been found to correlate with mass velocity and temperature. The HRU provides a simple means of calculating the depth of catalyst necessary to effect a designated conversion.