Tube-in-Tube Reactor System

Easy and quick reactor exchange system. Possibility to use quartz reactors at high pressure. No leak testing required after every reactor loading

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Tube-in-tube reactor systems with effluent dilution

Easy and quick reactor exchange system
Inert Diluent gas maintains reactor pressure and quenches reactions directly after catalyst bed
Enables the use of quartz reactors for sensitive chemistry at high pressures
Temperatures up to 925°C; reactor-to-reactor uniformity ≤0.5°C
Pressure up to 200 barg; variance ≤0.1 bar

The tube-in-tube design offers several advantages. The reactors can be quickly and easily replaced without the need for any connections. Each reactor block has a large and accurate isothermal zone where we can ensure correct plug flow regime with a reactor-to-reactor temperature uniformity ≤ 0.5 °C.

The use of an inert diluent gas to maintain the reactor pressure is used to stop undesirable reactions directly after the catalyst bed serving as a carrier gas for the gas products analyzed in the GC. Diluent keeps the effluent in the gas phase after the reactor zone and facilitates, for instance, the analysis of high boiling point components. It prevents dead volume and back flow in the reactor section. Furthermore, it reduces the residence time of the reaction products at the high temperature zone after exiting the catalyst bed, and the time required to transfer effluent gas and liquid products to the analytical instruments.

Use of quartz reactors for high pressure applications

The reactor tube loaded with catalyst is inserted into a high-pressure tube. The reactor tube does not require high pressure rating because of the tube-in-in tube design. This allows the use of thin-walled stainless steel tubes or quartz reactors, even for high pressure applications.

The (narrow) space around the catalyst tube is continuously flushed by inert gas (nitrogen) and effectively added to the product stream directly after the product stream exiting the catalyst bed.

The dilution of the reactor effluent has several advantages, such as reduced partial pressure effectively reducing condensation of vapor phase components, fast transport of effluent for further analysis.

Reactor sealing and positioning

This unique tube-in-tube feature avoids the use of a reactor tube sealing at the bottom of the reactor. No need to make/break compression fitting due to the use of a single o-ring at the top of the reactor. This feature (in combination with the reactor lid design) allows rapid exchange and tightening of the reactor tubes (within minutes).

Sealing of up to 16 reactors can be achieved by simply closing the ‘top-box’ (EasyLoad®) to pressure seal all reactors in a single action. No leak testing is required, saving valuable time.

Stable evaporation by liquid injection into reactor

For vapor phase reaction, stable feed concentrations are required to achieve meaningful test results. The direct injection of liquid into the top of the reactor and the consecutive conditioning zone allows feeding of broad range of liquids and concentrations.

Various types of liquids, both aqueous and oil phase are successfully evaporated and fed to the reactors.

Tube-in-Tube Reactor System