Monolith loop reactor for hydrogenation of glucose

Monolithic and powder catalysts based on Ru on γ-Al2O3 for hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol were prepared and shown to have comparable physico-chemical properties. Monolithic catalysts were investigated in a loop reactor in the Taylor Flow regime. For this purpose an experimental setup was built, where gas and liquid can be recycled independently. For comparison of monolithic and powder catalysts, a stirred tank reactor is integrated in the setup. Analysis of hydrogenation experiments revealed that external mass transfer limitations occur in case of the powder catalyst, whereas the monolithic catalyst used in the present study suffers from internal mass transfer resistances. Monolithic catalysts with sufficiently thin catalyst should be a promising alternative to suspended powder catalysts as they allow for an improvement of overall reaction rates.