Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of Russian ...

OP-III-15Fig. 2. The spent Smopex-101 catalyst treatedin the absence of ultrasound (SEM image).Fig. 3. Ultrasonic treated spent Smopex-101catalyst (SEM image).Microwave irradiationEsterification of propionicacid with ethanol as wellas ethyl pyruvatehydrogenation werecarried out in a singlemodemicrowave loopreactor (Fig. 4), equippedwith a conventionalheating band as well, todirectly compare theefficiency of microwave Fig. 4. Schematic drawing of single-mode microwave loop reactor set-up(MJ: metal jacket with N2 flow, FC: loop filling cup, OF: optic fibre).dielectricandconventional heating. The microwave dielectric heating allowed selective heating of thecatalyst bed and of the solvents and reactants as well as instantaneous heating of thechemicals in use. However, the reaction kinetics was not primarily influenced by the mode ofthe heating.ConclusionThe alternative energy sources, acoustic and microwave irradiation, were found to beprominent tools of process intensification. The results are, however, very dependent on thechemical system.120