Yield Improvements in Membrane Reactors for Partial Oxidation Reactions

Implementing a distributive membrane reactor for partial oxidation reactions, specifically the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane and the partial oxidation (POx) of propylene to acrolein, is the focus of this theoretical investigation. The reactor model in this study demonstrates that the membrane reactor increases the yield of the desired product, propylene or acrolein, while suppressing the yield of COx. The membrane reactor accomplishes this by lowering the partial pressure of a reactant, oxygen, to suppress the full oxidation reaction that has a higher order dependence on oxygen. In addition to improvements for these individual reactions, the reactor model is expanded to include two different catalyst beds, the ODH reaction and the POx reaction. The dual-bed membrane reactor design improved the yield of acrolein compared to that of a dual-bed fixed bed reactor. The distributive membrane reactor is a useful tool to further enhance the performance of these POx catalysts.