PILOT-PLANT TESTS FOR GLYOXAL PRODUCTION - REACTOR THERMAL-BEHAVIOR

Test data for catalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol to glyoxal performed with a laboratory continuous flow tubular reactor and successively with a pilot plant scale apparatus are reported using a Cu, Ag, P catalyst (94.5%, 4.5% and 1%, respectively). Reaction parameters (O2 concentration, temperature, space velocity) deeply affect the reactor thermal behavior. Relevant features of the complex reaction path can be hypothesized together to useful information on designing the reactor.