Liquid-solid mass transfer in a trickle-bed reactor measured by means of a catalytic reaction

Global rates of reaction (the hydrogenation of cyclohexene to cyclohexane on Pd/Al₂O₃) were measured in a trickle-bed reactor at various gas and liquid flow rates. The liquid superficial velocity was higher than 1.2 × 10^-2 m/s so as to achieve complete wetting of the catalyst particles. Liquid-solid mass transfer coefficients were calculated from the rate data. In the low interaction regime, the coefficients depend on both the gas and liquid rates, in contrast with most of the previous studies. At the transition to the high interaction regime, a significant change in the values of the coefficients was observed. The experimental liquid-solid mass transfer coefficients are in good agreement with values predicted by correlations published in the literature.