0000000000337312
AUTHOR
Francesco Santarelli
Process intensification in a photocatalytic membrane reactor: Analysis of the techniques to integrate reaction and separation
Abstract Different methods to integrate reaction and separation in a membrane reactor are studied in the present work, with the aim being to highlight the pros and cons of the different alternatives and the effects of the intervening parameters. The coupling of the two processes can take place inside a single apparatus or using separate units. If a single apparatus is utilized, the coupling is more direct, but separate units offer higher degrees of freedom for the design with more opportunities to optimize the system without constraints. However, when using separate units, the integration of the two unit operations depends largely on the parameters intervening in the coupling procedure. The…
A reaction engineering approach to kinetic analysis of photocatalytic reactions in slurry systems
Abstract The knowledge of the rate equation is fundamental for the assessment of the activity of the photocatalytic material and for the study, design and optimization of photocatalytic reactors. In the case of photocatalytic reactions, the local volumetric rate of photon absorption (LVRPA) affects the reaction rate and its inherently uneven distribution within a “slurry” reactor makes complex a correct kinetic analysis. In the present work it is shown which are the critical aspects of the kinetic analysis in slurry reactors and how to carry out photocatalytic experiments to minimize the misinterpretations of the experimental results. In particular, the influence of the type of illumination…
Photocatalytic process intensification by coupling with pervaporation
The integration of photocatalysis with a membrane separation process, in particular pervaporation, permits the recovery of valuable intermediate compounds (aromatic aldehydes) while they are produced avoiding their further degradation in the reactive ambient. In this way the yield and the conversion are enhanced. The coupling of the two processes is straightforward and the integration is complete even maintaining pervaporation and photocatalysis in two separate apparatuses provided that the process stream is continuously recycled at a sufficiently high flow rate. Additional advantages are: higher degree of purification of the aldehyde in the powder-free product stream, semicontinuous produc…