ABSTRACT
In catalytic three-phase reactors, a gas phase, a liquid phase, and a solid catalyst phase coexist. Some of the reactants and/or products are in the gas phase under the prevailing conditions (temperature and pressure). The gas components diffuse through the gas-liquid interface, dissolve in the liquid, diffuse through the liquid film to the liquid bulk phase, and diffuse through the liquid film around the catalyst particle to the catalyst surface, where the chemical reaction takes place (Figure 6.1). If catalyst particles are porous, a chemical reaction and diffusion take place simultaneously in the catalyst pores. The product molecules are transported in the opposite direction.
