Chapter 9

The Selection of a Reactor Type

Summary
In the previous chapters various aspects 0/ chemical reactors were discussed. It
was assumed that the nature 0/ the reacting phases, the phase configuration and the
mode 0/ operation were given. In the course 0/ chemical reactor development /or a
given process, conscious decisions have to be made regarding these various aspects.
These may be based on intuition, but also on quantitative evaluations, /or which we
need calculation methods 0/ the types presented in the preceeding sections. For the
selection 0/ a reactor type that is the most suitable /or the given process, a
sound combination 0/ calculations and intuition is recommended. In particular
situations, a novel reactor type might be conceived. However, an iterative
procedure is often unavoidable.
9.1. Introduction
Chemical reactor development starts when a certain amount of knowledge of a
chemical synthesis is available. At this point one wants to reconsider the reaction
conditions that have been applied, with the intention of optimization and scale-up.
One of the ftrst questions concems the selection of a reactor type, based on the
knowledge that is available so far. In later stages of the development process this
selection may be reconsidered. The selection of a reactor type for a given chemical
reaction comprises four decision steps:
a. The choice of the phase or phases in which the reaction will be carried out.
b. For two or more phases: the choice of the reactor configuration, that is the
arrangement of the phases with respect to each other.
c. The choice of the mode of operation: batch or continuous, a mixed or a tubular
reactor, cocurrent or countercurrent, etc.
d. One has to decide whether the necessary temperature control is reconcilable with
the choices made so far, also for a reactor on a larger scale. If this is not
so, the decision process has to be repeated.
These four decision steps will be reviewed briefly in sections 9.2 - 9.5. For
making the right decisions some important criteria have to be applied: The
economies of the process, the quality of the product(s), the quality of the waste
streams, and the safety of the operation. Process economies are not always easy to
assess in an early stage of development. If there is a possibility to simplify the
process, e.g., by eliminating the use of an additional solvent, this will generally
make the process cheaper. Another obvious factor is the maximum concentration of
the desired product that can be applied in the reactor: the higher this is, the
cheaper the process generally will be. The quality of products and waste streams is
deterrnined primarily by the selectivity of the reaction, which is often dependent
on physical transport phenomena, which are strongly dependent on the type of
reactor. The sa/ety of the operation is primarily deterrnined by the dynamic
stability of the process. This is also very much dependent on the reactor type.

238
D. Thoenes, Chemical Reactor Development
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1994
 THE SELECfION OF A REACfOR TYPE 239

9.2. The choice of the phase or phases that are present in the reactor
The first question we have to ask ourselves is whether we have chosen the right
phase or phases for carrying out the reaction in an optimal way, not only for the
laboratory experiments, but also for the larger scale. One might think that the
choice of phases made at an earlier stage in the research is irrevocable; on
further scrotiny it will appear that this is often not so. In any case a conscious
decision is desirable. It is not possible to give general roles for making such
decisions. A few examples will be given that may help to [md the best selection
procedure for a given chemical reaction.
Solid, liquid or gas?
Of course, the selection of a phase for a single-phase process cannot be made
independently from the choice of reaction temperature and pressure.
There are very few practical examples of chemical reactions that are carried out in
single solid phase systems. In fact, we would only choose asolid as areaction
phase when there are no alternatives. Diffusion in solids is generally such a slow
process, that reaction rates are bound to be very low indeed. It is generally
preferable to raise the reaction temperature to a value above the melting point of
the solid, since diffusion in liquids is a much faster process. Some solid phase
reactions are carried out at very high temperatures, weH above 1500 K, where
diffusion rates are higher. In these cases the melting point of the solid is mostly
too high to make a liquid phase process feasible.
When there is a choice between a liquid and a gas phase process, some interesting
questions arise. Generally, the gas phase process will require a higher
temperature, which is not only necessary to vaporize the liquid, but also to get
sufflciently high reaction rates and, consequently, reasonable reactor volumes. It
is often economical to operate the gas phase process at an elevated pressure. If
for a given reaction both a liquid phase and a gas phase process appear feasible,
the decision will generally have to be based on a comparison of the selectivities
and the stabilities ofboth processes. In some cases the lower temperature of the
liquid phase process may have the advantage of higher selectivities. Since the
liquid phase process can be carried out in a weH mixed reactor, there is the
possibility of specifIcally suppressing competitive reactions of a higher order
(section 3.4.2). Also, a cooled mixed reactor may have a high thermal stability,
particularly at high degrees of conversion. Generally the gas phase process will
have to be carried out in a tubular reactor, which may have the advantage that
undesired consecutive reactions are suppressed (section 3.4.3). Though ronaways are
possible in tubular gas phase reactors, the reactor hold-up is relatively smaH,
which reduces the risks connected with possible reactor damage. Particularly when
the reaction medium is inflammable, or highly toxic, a minimum inventory is
desirable, which may be an argument in favour of a gas phase process. On the other
hand, if the chemical reaction is accompanied by a strong heat effect, and if the
temperature has to be controHed within narrow limits, liquid phase processes are
often to be preferred. This is related to the much more effective heat transfer in
liquids, as compared to gases (sections 8.3 and 8.4).
One liquid phase, or a gaslliquid system?
This choice may present itself for reactions between a liquid reactant and a
readily soluble gas phase reactant. Such reactions may be carried out in a
two-phase system at a relatively low pressure (or a high temperature), or in a
single phase system at an elevated pressure (or a low temperature). In many
chemical processes the actual reaction takes place in the liquid phase only. The