Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/J50583/01
Title:	CLEAN TECH CHEM PROCESS USING HIGHLY SELECTIVE CATALYSTS WITH MASS TRANSFER EFFICIENT 3-PHASE REACTORS
Principal Investigator:	Winterbottom, Professor JM
Other Investigators:	Boyes, Dr A
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	AKZO Nobel
Department:	Chemical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Birmingham
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 1993	Ends:	31 May 1997	Value (£):	161,099
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Catalysis & Applied Catalysis Reactor Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The programme which is focused on clean technology based on three-phase reactions, directed at high added value process engineering, is centred around three reactor types. They are (i) a stirred batch reactor (SBR), (ii) a trickle bed reactor (TBR) and (iii) a co-current downflow contactor reactor (CDCR); The TBR and CDCR will be based on the same shell and operate up to 30 bar. The SBR and TBR represent reactors with mass transfer problems whilst the CPCR can overcome these. Thus mass transfer and process efficiency studies will be carried with conventional high selectivity proprietary catalysts, to give modelling data and base-line information, along with kinetic studies of precious metal loss under diffusion controlled conditions; this will be examined for TBR, SBR and CDCR. The CDCR can operate in slurry and fixed bed form and new catalysts of improved geometry and selective poisoning will be prepared and studied using model hydrogenation reactions representing systems found in the fine chemical industry. The objective will be to combine high selectivity with high pressure to give process intensification and clean technology with zero or negligible side reactions and replacement of batch technology with highly efficiency continuous processes and new catalyst technology with fewer separation problems. The CDCR will also be studied as a high pressure liquid phase oxidative mineralization reactor for pollution control with processes giving less than perfect selectivity.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bham.ac.uk