Modeling Of Adiabatic Fixed-Bed Reactor For Dehydrogenation Of Isobutane To Isobutene

Isobutene is an important raw material in MTBE and tert-butyl alcohol production. By far, most of the isobutene of our country is acquired by cracking ethene and fluid catalytic cracking processes as by-product, thus, the isobutene yield is limited. Due to the growing demands for isobutene, great interest has been taken place for the research of isobutane catalytic dehydrogenation to isobutene by our country’s companies.The dehydrogenation of isobutene to isobutene in adiabatic radial-flow fixed-bed reactors was studied. A mathematical model was founded and applied to simulate a industrial reactor that processes100,000tons of isobutane per year.First of all, we applied impregnation method to prepare the catalyst. The properties and performance was evaluated by laboratory devices.Secondly, we collect data from a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor to calculate kinetics and catalyst inactivation parameters. Kinetic model of catalyst inactivation and model of dehydrogenation was founded according to the characteristics of the dehydrogenation reaction. Parametric approach methods were used to get the related parameters. The reliability of the parameters obtained were verified by statistical approaches.Last but not least, the mathematical model of the dehydrogenation of isobutane to isobutene on the catalyst of Pt-Sn/Al2O3in adiabatic radial-flow fixed-bed reactor was founded. Thevarious parameters in the model were settled through experiments and data from references. The simulation of industrial scale dehydrogenation reaction was performed.