Elastic Foam Reactor: an innovative technological breakthrough in gas-liquid reaction field – EFR

EFR project propose to develop a new technological breakthrough with low-energy consumption for intensification of complex multiphasic systems. It combines remarkable transport properties and mechanical elasticity of novel bio-inspired soft catalytic support (cheap elastomeric open cell foam) with an unprecedented Elastic Foam bed Reactor to intensify catalytic reactions. Inspired on proven technology (known since antiquity), a crankshaft; EFR technology allows (contrary at the fixed-bed reactor) to modified in-situ the morphological properties (tortuosity, porosity…) of the internal bed. Foam-bed morphology parameters will be controlled by dynamic compressed/relaxed cycles of elastic foam always under gas-liquid conditions. The performance and characteristic of EFR will be realized by typical experiments tools (used generally in chemical engineering) and non-intrusive method (tomography). The modelling of the EFR will be developed and the catalytic performance of system will be evaluated for gas-liquid model reactions (hydrogenation and/or oxidation). For these reactions, EFR technology will provide an upgrade for the mass transfer phenomenon and for the unclogging-bed (due to the possible particles present in liquid flow).