ABSTRACT
Chemical reactors are used for the industrial conversion of raw materials into products. This is naturally facilitated by chemical reactions. The role of the chemical reactor is crucial for the whole process: product quality from the chemical reactor determines the following process steps, such as type, structure, and operation principles of separation units. Most industrially relevant chemical processes are carried out in the presence of compounds that enhance the reaction rate. These compounds are referred to as catalysts. A special type of catalytic reactor consists of reactive distillation columns, in which the reaction takes place on catalyst particles that are assembled into a column, while the products and reactants are continuously being separated by means of distillation. The most complicated systems are represented by reactors in which the solid phase is consumed—or solid particles are generated—while a reaction takes place. For this kind of reaction, similar types of reactors are utilized as for heterogeneous catalytic reactions: packed and fluidized beds.
