Experimental Results and Experience with the LPCE Process

This paper presents further investigation of the liquid phase catalytic exchange (LPCE) process on the LPCE-3 column (50-mm inner diameter and 2-m height) of the EVIO pilot plant. The characteristics of the column filled with alternating layers of RCTU-3SM hydrophobic catalyst and stainless steel spiral-prismatic packing have been studied at a catalyst/packing volume ratio of 2:1 and compared to a ratio of 4:1. The EVIO-5 computer model is used for the column performance evaluation (as before) but this time the mass transfer coefficient for phase exchange B-x is not fixed. Due to the unequivocal separation of the catalytic and phase exchange with the help of the EVIO-5 code, the comparison of catalyst activity given by mass transfer coefficient K-c has been made for the experiments at two different catalyst/packing volume ratios. The column performance has also been expressed by the value of the height-equivalent-to-theoretical-plate average along the column. Some experience concerning the control of an LPCE column operating at the mode "with independent flows" is discussed.