Some peculiarities of dehydrogenation of propane and n-butane in a combined membrane reactor with the AOK-73-24 industrial alumina–chromia catalyst and a palladium membrane

Abstract

By using as an example the catalytic dehydrogenation reactions of propane and n-butane in a membrane reactor, it has been shown that the effects of the palladium membrane thickness, temperature, feedstock space velocity, and sweep-gas flow rate on the process behavior are interrelated. Therefore, a change in one of the process conditions can disrupt the balance between the rates of H₂ formation in the catalytic reaction and hydrogen removal through the membrane, which is required to increase the yield of the desired product. To maintain the balance of the rates when one of the conditions is changed (for example, the thickness of the membrane is reduced to increase the productivity of the membrane reactor), detailed optimization of the temperature and the feedstock l and sweep-gas flow rates consumption is required.