Parallelization of Catalytic Packed-Bed Microchannels with Pressure-Drop Microstructures for Gas–Liquid Multiphase Reactions

Abstract

High-throughput and stable treatments are required to achieve the practical production of chemicals with microreactors. However, the flow maldistribution to the paralleled microchannels has been a critical problem in achieving the productive use of multichannel microreactors for multiphase flow conditions. In this study, we newly designed and fabricated a glass four-channel catalytic packed-bed microreactor for the scale-up of gas–liquid multiphase chemical reactions. We embedded microstructures generating high pressure losses at the upstream side of each packed bed, and experimentally confirmed the efficacy of the microstructures in decreasing the maldistribution of the gas–liquid flow to the parallel microchannels.