The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	The effect of ultrasonic vibrations and catalyst particle size on the decomposition of cumene
Author:	Pietranski, John F.
View Online:	njit-etd1977-024 (vii, 177 pages ~ 3.9 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Chemical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Hanesian, Deran (Committee chair) Salamone, Jerome J. (Committee member) Chen, Hung T. (Committee member)
Date:	1977-05
Keywords:	Cumol Decomposition (Chemistry) Ultrasonic waves
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	The effect of ultrasonic vibrations on the vapor phase decomposition of cumene to benzene and proplyene was investigated using silica-aluminum as the cracking catalyst. The system consists of a tubular reactor with a 4 inch long catalyst chamber made from 1 cm. diameter stainless steel tubing. The catalyst bed was irradiated from above by means of an ultrasonic horn. The reactor was run at temperatures of 850 to 950°F., frequencies of 26,000 and 39,000 Hz, with a power innut of 0.30 watts/cm.2 . Feed rates of 100 to 300 gms./hr. and catalyst particle sizes of 0.0209 to 0.358 cm. were used. Using the reactor design equation and the data obtained from this research it can be shown that in the area where surface reaction controlled, the surface reaction rate constant was not increased by the addition of ultrasound. Therefore it is postulated that ultrasonic vibrations do not cause localized heating within the catalyst bed, but that ultrasound causes acoustic streaming within the catalyst pores, resulting on higher diffusion rates.