Micromachined reactors for catalytic partial oxidation reactions

TLDR

The study presents a silicon‑based microreactor with sub‑millimeter flow channels, integrated heaters, flow and temperature sensors, and discusses its potential applications and scale‑up. The reactor’s design enables partial‑oxidation reactions, demonstrated using Pt‑catalyzed NH₃ oxidation, and its ignition‑extinction behavior and high‑temperature material degradation were investigated. Experiments show that the microreactor reproduces conventional laboratory reactor conversion and selectivity, proving the feasibility of conducting chemical reactions in microfabricated systems.

Abstract

Abstract Silicon‐based microfabrication of a novel chemical reactor (microreactor) having submillimeter flow channels with integrated heaters, and flow and temperature sensors is described. The potential application of this reactor to partial‐oxidation reactions is explored by using Pt‐catalyzed NH 3 oxidation as a model reaction. Investigation of reactor behavior as a function of operating conditions shows that conversion and selectivity behavior of conventional laboratory reactors can be reproduced and demonstrates the feasibility of conducting chemical reactions in microfabricated systems. Ignition‐extinction behavior is explored, along with high‐temperature microreactor materials degradation. Potential applications and scale‐up of microreactors are also discussed.