Attrition assessment for slurry bubble column reactor catalysts Original Research Article

Significant interest in three-phase slurry bubble column reactors (SBCRs) has come about in recent years due to their excellent heat removal capabilities during reaction. However, no evaluation test for catalyst attrition resistance is available in the literature yet for SBCR catalysts, although severe attrition of catalyst particles has actually been encountered in SBCRs. In this paper, fluidized bed catalyst attrition tests (fluidized bed and jet cup) and other tests (collision and ultrasound) are evaluated for the first time for their suitability in predicting catalyst attrition in an SBCR. Based on comparisons of particle morphology and size distribution (PSD) of a silica supported cobalt catalyst before and after use in an SBCR with the results from the various attrition assessment tests, it is suggested that the fluidized bed, jet cup and ultrasound tests all provide reasonable and efficient predictions of catalyst attrition. Although the dominant attrition mechanism appeared to be fracture in both SBCR run and collision test, the latter showed too little attrition efficiency to be suitable as an attrition test. Despite the fact that abrasion occurs to a greater degree during the fluidized bed, jet cup, and ultrasound tests compared to during an SBCR run, all these three tests cause particle breakage similar to that in the SBCR, but in relatively short periods of time. Therefore, all three, especially the jet cup test, are suitable tests for predicting catalyst attrition resistance in an SBCR environment.