Preparation of Pd/γ-Al2O3/nickel foam monolithic catalyst and its performance for selective hydrogenation in a rotating packed bed reactor

Abstract Selective hydrogenation plays an important role in chemical industries, yet its selectivity is usually limited by the mass transfer. In this work, the enhanced hydrogenation selectivity was achieved in a rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor with excellent mass transfer efficiency. Aiming to be used under the centrifugal filed, a monolithic catalyst Pd/γ-Al2O3/nickel foam suiting for the shape and size of the rotor of RPB reactor was prepared by the electrophoretic deposition method. The mechanical strength of the catalyst can meet the requirement of high centrifugal force in the RPB. The hydrogenation selectivity in the RPB reactor using the 3-methyl-1-pentyn-3-ol hydrogenation system was 3 ∼ 8 times higher than that in a stirred tank reactor under similar conditions. This work proves the feasibility of intensifying the selectivity of hydrogenation process in the RPB reactor.