Composition Modulation of Catalytic Reactors

Book excerpt: Composition modulation is a method of operating a catalytic reactor to improve catalyst activity or selectivity and has been under study for more than 25 years. In the last few years, several commercial applications have been realized and more will certainly appear. A large international research literature now exists. This book examines this literature and attempts to organize and analyze it with the intent of identifying the magnitude of improvements possible, why modulation is effective, and what questions remain unanswered. Topics include hydrogenation, oxidation, reduction, and polymerization reactions for NOX, SOX, NH3, and hydrocarbons.