TABLE OF CONTENTS In this chapter, the principles of chemical kinetics and catalysis are discussed. The basic rate equations are presented along with descriptions of operating modes and the wide variety of equipment that is suitable as chemical reactors. Few rules are generally applicable to the design of equipment for chemical reactions. The broad classes of reactors include stirred tanks, empty or packed beds in tubes, vessels and shell-and-tube devices, and highly specialized configurations in which heat transfer may be provided. Many design factors in individual cases are balanced to achieve economic optima. The general rules of other chapters for design of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, agitators, and so on, apply to chemical reactors.
The literature in this field is so abundant that only the most significant research that has resulted in commercialization is presented. The material reported is satisfactory for design purposes, although newer techniques are reported in the literature but may not be better than what is presented in this chapter.
Examples of commercial reactors successfully employed in industry are presented but by no means is this to be construed to be a comprehensive treatment. Due to space constraints, the editors had to make decisions concerning what was to be included in the chapter.
Although the intent of this chapter is not detailed design, it is in order to state what is included in a proper design basis, for example at least these items:
Stoichiometry of the participating reactions.
Thermal and other...
