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Preface

Students of history are familiar with the late of an ancient King who commanded his wise men to
fashion a comprehensive history of their yesteryears. Exasperation seize him when some several
dozen volumes were produced. He then recharged his scholars to fashion a somewhat more brief
account. Eventually, as is the wont of even modern is administrators, the king expressed impatience
with a terse one-volume product. In consequence, he slaughtered his scribes and then retired to
reflect upon the fact that life seems so short and history so long.

Chemical reaction engineering and particularly catalysis and its applications are indeed so complex
and the professors view so primitive that hasten to plead for merciful understanding before all kings
who labor in the real reactor world.

My experience in industry reactor vineyard and subsequent labors in the academy have persuaded
me that this text must be viewed as but a commentary, a particular view of what I considered to be
a few essentials scientific ingredients in an area with in which progress is largely realized by art some
science and generous portion of serendipity.

A handbook of chemical and catalytic reaction engineering would seem to be beyond the creation,
whether authored by kings and or philosophers. What is set forth here is designed to stimulate the
novice who will build, as do we all upon these simple elements in order to fashion meaningful
solutions to the complex chemical reaction realities which nature visits upon us.

It was Bernard of charters of the twelfth century who wisely observed that we sit upon a mountain
built by the others and thus view the terrain more clearly by reason of those builders, our mentors.
The late John Treacy of Notre dame and that grand gentleman of Yale, the late harding bliss,
patiently nurtured me in this fascinating subject of chemical reacton engenerring. Profesosor Paul
Emmett s cosmic course in catalysis at Johns Hopkins and numerous dialogues with the late Sir Hugh
Taylor and with my very lively colleagues George Kuczynski and Michel Boudart srved asdmirably to
focus my vision upon heterogeneous catalysis and its provocative mysteries.

The mountain is surely composed of the shoulders of many others whose identy will become evident
with a study of the body of this work.

This text is so structured that an introductory course may be fashioned with the first five chapters
and selected segments of one or more of those which follow.

Amore advanced course might well commence with chapter 4. In either case, its to be noted that
capter 8 catalysis can be utililized quite independently of the others.

Beyond chapter 3 , the problems are, by design somewhat unique insofar as some are slightly devoid
of necessary data, others overly rich, while there is also provided a reasonable number of open
enden problems I e the student is required to seek out specifified literature sources and the invited
to create solutions in the light of his or her informed subjective judgements of said data in accord
with design realities nonunique yet instructive solutions should emerge to the benefit of all
participants.
I amgrateful to have had the opportunity tio present portions of the material in a series of lectures
at the shell department of chemical enginnerring Cambridge university as NSF Senior Fellow, at the
university of naples, and at Stanford university.

Mrs Helen Deranek most admirably transformed the terrors of my handwritten manuscript into
typewritten form worthy of human scrutiny while Mrs W G Richardson very patiently performed
editorial miracles of revision. I am most grateful to them and those who generously gave of their
time to read the text and render worthy critiscm of it. Professor R Aris. Octave levenspiel. D Luss J
H Olson and W D Smith . Paul Charles, Joseph Perino and Steve Paspek, class of 76 very carefully
freed the manuscript the manuscript of numerous

Preface

Central to virtually every chemical plant is a chemical reactor or system of reactors. This book is
concerned with their design. It is intendend to provide a forward looking introduction to the topic
and is written with undergraduate students in chemical enggernering primarily in mind. However,
its hoped that the book will also be useful to others readers.

The first chapters are concerned with the relevant stoichemetry, thermodynamics and reaction
kinetics ans their application to simple reactor design calculations Susequent chapters written by
industrial practioners, provide insight into the important and overlapping areas of catalyst design
and catalytic reactor design

Three phase reactors fluidized bed reactors and bioreactors are described in the final section of
thebook.

The editors wish to thank the many generation of undergratuated and postgraduate students who
have in their various ways, added to this book.

They also thank most warmly the contribuitors and those who have checked the manuscript of
proofs

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