PROCESS FOR REGENERATING MONOLITH HYDROGENATION CATALYTIC REACTOR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process to regenerate a monolith catalytic reactor employed in a liquid phase hydrogenation reaction, particularly used for those kinds of reactions involving nitroaromatic compounds. SOLUTION: Catalytic metals in the monolith catalytic reactor is deactivated by carbonaceous or deactivating byproducts and must be regenerated to extend the catalyst service life and reduce cost. The regeneration process involves two steps: initially passing an oxidizing gaseous mixture through the monolith catalytic reactor at an elevated temperature for a time sufficient to remove the carbonaceous and the deactivating byproducts and then passing a reducing gas through the monolith catalytic reactor previously exposed to the oxidizing gas under conditions for reducing the catalytic metals to their reduced states. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO