Numerical modeling of a microreactor for the synthesis of adipic acid via KA oil oxidation. (2nd February 2021) - Wei, Hui-Long
Highlights: The oxidation of KA oil in an isothermal microreactor was studied. Three models for KA oil oxidation in microreactor were developed. The power law kinetics including gas formation rate was employed. The effect of various parameters was investigated with the optimal reactor model. Abstract: This study investigated the performance of microreactor system in conducting the oxidation of KA oil with nitric acid through mathematical models. Experiments were also carried out via a self-designed microreactor system. Two one-dimensional (1D) pseudohomogeneous models and a two-dimensional (2D) reactor model were developed according to the mass balance and power law kinetics. The calculated results based on different models were compared with experimental data to evaluate the model reliability. The results showed that 1D axial dispersion model and 2D reactor model exhibited comparable accuracy in predicting the conversion of the intermediates, while 2D reactor model was more accurate in predicting the yield of products. With the 2D reactor model, the sensitivity study showed that temperature was the most sensitive parameter. Further studies on the effect of different factors were carried out via the developed model to shed lights on the design and operation of industrial-scale microreactors.