A membrane reactor using microporous glass for shifting equilibrium of cyclohexane dehydrogenation.

Abstract

A membrane reactor, which is a double-tubular reactor equipped with a selective membrane tube as the inner tube, was proposed. Such a reactor makes it possible to obtain a product yield of a reversible reaction beyond its equilibrium value by continuous removal of the products during reaction. A microporous glass tube was employed as the selective membrane, through which gases permeate almost according to Knudsen''s law. Experiments in the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane to benzene as a model reaction were carried out, using the membrane reactor under atmospheric pressure in the range of 453-493 K. It was shown experimentally and theoretically that a marked increase in conversion over that at equilibrium can be achieved.