Solid Catalysis and Reactor Design Fundamentals

Designing chemical reactors that utilize solid catalysts requires balancing intrinsic reaction rates with mass and heat transfer limitations. This course provides the foundational engineering framework to analyze these complex heterogeneous systems. By the end of this course, you will be able to model and predict the performance of catalytic reactors, assess the impact of diffusion limitations, and determine the controlling resistance in industrial processes. What you'll learn: * Understand the fundamental steps of a solid-catalyzed reaction, including adsorption, surface reaction mechanisms, and desorption. * Analyze intrinsic surface reaction kinetics using elementary steps and derive rate laws based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Eley-Rideal models. * Calculate the effectiveness factor and Thiele modulus to quantify the effect of internal pore diffusion on overall reaction rates. * Apply reactor performance equations (PFR and CSTR) tailored for heterogeneous systems to determine catalyst loading and reactor size. * Practice identifying the controlling resistance (kinetics, film diffusion, or pore diffusion) governing the overall reaction rate. * Evaluate selectivity and efficiency factors when optimizing process conditions for complex or parallel catalyzed reactions. The course begins by establishing the essential terminology and characteristics of solid catalysts before moving into the derivation of kinetic models. You will then apply concepts of transport phenomena to real-world reactor design problems. This course is designed for chemical engineering students, process engineers, and scientists who are beginners in heterogeneous reaction engineering. No prior experience with complex catalytic modeling is required. Start building your expertise in industrial reactor design today.