Internal Transport Process in

Heterogeneous Process
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 126:
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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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Single Cylindrical Pore Model

Mantle area where 
reaction is occurring
S = 2πr Δx

Δx

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Single Cylindrical Pore Model

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Spherical Catalyst

Δr

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Spherical Catalyst

Concentration profile in a spherical catalyst

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Spherical Catalyst

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Understanding Thiele Modulus

Characteristic Length

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Understanding Thiele Modulus

For small particles
• Intraparticle mass transport has 
no effect on the rate of per pellet
• Chemical reaction step controls 
the rate
• Small values of the Thiele 
Modulus

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Understanding Thiele Modulus

For large particles
• Intraparticle diffusion has 
large effect on the rate
• Diffusion into the pellet is 
relatively slow
• Large values of the Thiele 
Modules

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Understanding the Effectiveness Factor

• Constant rate • Only the surface in the 
• The rate at the center is  periphery of the pellet is 
the same as the rate at  effective
the outer surface – all 
η →1 η →0 • Concentration drops to near 
the surface is fully  zero
effective • Central portion of the catalyst 
is not utilized
CA
• Large pellet, low De or high k 
(very active catalyst)

• Intrapellet diffusion 
resistance will reduce the 
global rate
radial distance

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