Methodology for Investigating the Mechanical Strength of Reforming Catalyst Beads

Reforming catalyst beads must exhibit strong resistance to the mechanical and thermal stresses they experience during their lifetime in a continuous regenerative catalytic unit. An inventory of the mechanical stresses, e. g. compressive, impact and shearing, is presented. It shows that a multitest approach must be designed in order to measure the particle strength and then optimise the production process to enhance their strength. This approach combines measurements reproducing the different types of stress generated in the catalytic process with an extensive characterisation of the physical and mechanical properties of the porous solid such as Young's modulus, hardness and fracture toughness. The methodology outlined here on alumina beads goes beyond the common practice of evaluating catalyst strength based on a comparative study using a single-crushing test and a bulk-crushing test. Prediction of bulk attrition and breakage behaviour, based on the above properties, is achieved using distinct element analysis (DEA)