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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Utilization of Stop-flow Micro-tubing Reactors for the Development of Organic Transformations
Published on: January 4, 2018
Ceramic microreactors for heterogeneously catalysed gas-phase reactions
Regina Knitter1, Marcel A Liauw
1Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, IMF III, Karlsruhe, Germany. regina.knitter@imf.fzk.de
Abstract:
The high surface to volume ratio of microchannel components offers many advantages in micro chemical engineering. It is obvious, however, that the reactor material and corrosion phenomena play an important role when applying these components. For chemical reactions at very high temperatures or/and with corrosive reactants involved, microchannel components made of metals or polymers are not suited. Hence, a modular microreactor system made of alumina was developed and fabricated using a rapid prototyping process chain. With exchangeable inserts the system can be adapted to the requirements of various reactions. Two heterogeneously catalysed gas-phase reactions (oxidative coupling of methane, isoprene selective oxidation to citraconic anhydride) were investigated to check the suitability of the system at temperatures of up to 1000 degrees C. Apart from the high thermal and chemical resistance, the lack of any blind activity was found to be another advantage of ceramic components.
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