External Transport Process in

Heterogeneous Process
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 126:
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KINETICS OF HETEROGENEOUS REACTION
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University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering 126
Complete Steps for Converting Reactants to Products

1. Transport of reactants from bulk

fluid to the fluid solid interface
2. Intraparticle transport of 1
7
reactants in the catalyst particle
3. Adsorption of reactants at
interior sited of the catalyst
particle
4. Chemical reaction of adsorbed 6
reactants to adsorbed products 2
5. Desorption of adsorbed products
6. Transport of products from the
interior sites to the outer surface 3,4,5
of the catalyst surface
7. Transport of products into the
bulk fluid stream

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Transport Limitations

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External Transport Process

1 • Catalyst can only be effective if 
Transport of reactants from
the reactants can reach the 
bulk fluid to the fluid solid
interface surface
7
Transport of products into
• Transport requires a driving 
the bulk fluid stream force
• Transport is dependent on 
1. Velocity pattern
2. Physical properties of the 
fluid
3. Intrinsic rate of chemical 
reactions
• Transfer Coefficients
Outer Surface of the Catalyst

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External Transport Process

1 • Transfer Coefficients
Transport of reactants from
• Flow and geometric 
bulk fluid to the fluid solid
interface arrangement of fluid and 
7
Transport of products into
particle
the bulk fluid stream

Outer Surface of the Catalyst

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Concentration and Temperature
(with Transport Limitations)

Endothermic Process Exothermic Process

Global rate of reaction    vs    Intrinsic rate of reaction
(bulk concentration) (surface concentration)
(observed)

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Effect of external physical process on the 
global rate

Mass Transfer Mass Transfer

Reaction

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Higher Order Reactions

2nd Order ⎧ 2 ⎫
⎪⎡ 0 .5 k m a m ⎤ ⎡ 0 .5 k m a m ⎤ ⎪
rp = k m a m ⎨ ⎢1 + ⎥− ⎢1 + ⎥ − 1 ⎬CA
⎪⎩ ⎣ k m am C A ⎦ ⎣ km am C A ⎦
⎭⎪
Higher Order
n
⎛ rp ⎞
rp = k ⎜ C A − ⎟
⎝ k m m ⎠
a

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External Heat Transfer Limitations

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