Platelet Milli-Reactor filled with open cell foam supported Pt nanoparticles for a three-phase catalytic system.

Platelet millimetric reactors (PMR, 18 mm × 5 mm × 24 or 120 mm) packed with open cell foam supporting Pt nanoparticles have been studied with a model reaction (formic acid oxidation). The hydrodynamics of the liquid phase was investigated as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities and foam properties using classical residence time distribution (RTD) experiments. The gas–liquid mass transfer coefficient (kLa) was also studied by using an oxygen absorption in water for cocurrent up flow and down flow configurations with the velocities range of 1.1 < ug < 2.2 mm·s–1 for air and 0.075 < ul < 0.2 m·s–1 for liquid. It was found that an increase of gas velocity had no significant effect on gas–liquid mass transfer, contrary to an increase in liquid velocity. A correlation for kLa prediction was proposed based on a dimensionless numbers relation. A specific protocol was optimized to obtain an acceptable dispersion of Pt nanoparticles on SiC foam. Intrinsic catalytic activity was obtained in the chemi...