Design and Characterization of a Small Volume Reactor for the High Pressure Invacuo Study of Catalytic Surface Reactions

C. Clark[1,2], J. Fulton[3], T. Adams[3], E. Podgornov[4], and F. Zaera[4]
[1]Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
[2]Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona, CA, USA
[3]Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, IN, USA
[4]Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
Published in 2008

The design and construction of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) systems for the study of surface reactions has lead to high impact innovation in a myriad of industries.

A small volume reactor compatible with ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface-science instrumentation has been designed, modeled and tested for the study of the kinetics of surface chemical reactions on single crystals. CO oxidation experiments were carried out and found to approximately match 2D multiphysics models carried out in COMSOL.

The model gives a flow profile that allows for doser design improvements that would optimize flow impingement onto the crystal surface, increasing reaction rate, and effectiveness of the doser on low probability reactions.

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