From bench scale to pilot plant: A 150x scaled-up configuration of a microwave-driven structured reactor for methane dehydroaromatization

Microwave-assisted gas-phase conversion on structured catalysts is emerging as a promising process intensification technology in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. The combination selective heating and catalytic materials induces temperature difference between heated sample surrounding void regions to avoid non-selective reactions. This operational principle allowed inhibiting thermal cracking alkane dehydrogenation processes well retarding catalyst deactivation by coking methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) processes. However, its effectiveness has not been reported so far out laboratory scale conditions. work addresses scaling microwave-assisted MDA from lab experiments scaled-up configuration capable stable operation with 150-fold higher feeding rate. scaling-up potential main obstacles overcome for this are critically discussed. In addition, techno-economic assessment MW-MDA presented. activity was kept seven consecutive reaction cycles, i.e. 35 h MW-MDA, prior progressive decay due permanent caused zeolite dealumination active metal loss. scaled set-up operated up 295 hours under unmanned conducting 4 -h MDA-regeneration cycles Mo/[email protected] monoliths resulting 125-fold increase converted 450-fold benzene (0.17 LC6H6/h) comparison tests. Scaled were run using only 6-fold microwave input power, thus, highlighting non-linearity energy consumption factor importance cavity design.