Coproduction of Olefin and Aniline via a Novel Multifunctional Reactor

For synchronic production of highly valuable olefin and aniline in a multifunctional system, an innovative thermal coupling reactor concept equipped with a palladium-based membrane is proposed where the dehydrogenation of heavy paraffinic hydrocarbon and nitrobenzene hydrogenation occur inside endothermic and exothermic compartments of the reactor. In this novel radial flow multifunctional reactor (RF-MR), the whole interior area of the radial flow tubular reactor is partitioned into some distinct compartments to convey hydrogen from the endothermic to exothermic sides. A comprehensive reaction arrangement is applied with the intention of obtaining an efficient reactor model. The model outcomes are validated with the industrial plant data, and an acceptable agreement is attained. The results reveal that utilizing the RF-MR in linear alkyl benzene plants eventuated in the adequate consequences. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis for the RF-MR reveals that the rate of the hydrogenation process, nitrobenzene conversion, and also the paraffin conversion raises by increasing exothermic feed stream temperature, while the selectivity of olefin decreases. The lower olefin production rate in the dehydrogenation part is attributed to the higher molar flow rate of the exothermic side. The superior olefin production rate and nitrobenzene conversion seem to be the advantages of the increasing number of compartments; however, increasing the catalyst mass is inevitable.