Thermal effects in reactive liquid chromatography

Thermal effects in unsteady-state liquid phase chromatographic reactors were investigated experimentally in a thermally insulated column. In the case of an exothermic esterification reaction catalyzed by an acidic ionexchange resin, a self-amplifying positive thermal wave was found to develop in the reactor. This improved the reactor performance considerably when compared to isothermal conditions. The heat of reaction, enthalpy of adsorption, and heat of mixing all contribute to the thermal behavior of the reactor. The complex dynamic behavior caused by non-isothermal operation was elucidated by means of numerical simulations. The solid phase to fluid phase heat capacity ratio was found to be an important parameter because it affects the magnitude and propagation velocities of the thermal waves. SciVerse® is a registered trademark of Elsevier Properties S.A., used under license. ScienceDirect® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. [accessed February 8th 2013