Hydrogenation of p-isobutyl acetophenone using a Ru/Al<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> catalyst: reaction kinetics and modelling of a semi-batch slurry reactor

The kinetics of hydrogenation of p-isobutyl acetophenone using a 2% Ru/Al<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> catalyst was studied experimentally in a semi-batch slurry reactor over a temperature range of 373-398 K. The effect of catalyst loading, H<SUB>2</SUB> partial pressure and p-isobutyl acetophenone concentration on concentration-time and H<SUB>2</SUB> consumption profiles was studied. A rate equation has been proposed based on a Langmuir-Hinshelwood type mechanism in which reaction steps between adsorbed hydrogen and adsorbed liquid phase reactants are assumed to be rate determining. The kinetic parameters were evaluated by fitting the integral batch reactor data at different temperatures. The activation energies, heat of adsorption and the entropy of adsorption of hydrogen and various liquid phase components were evaluated