A comprehensive interpretation of mixing effects on stationary states and dynamical behavior of the bistable ClO−2–I− reaction in a flow reactor

Abstract

We propose an interpretation of mixing effects on temporal dissipative structures in CSTR in terms of micromixing. The bistability of the ClO−2 –I− reaction is extensively discussed. The micromixing process is successively represented by a mean field model and a coalescence redispersion model, together with a realistic kinetic scheme of the reaction. The latter was found more suited to the problem. The results are in good agreement with experimental observations previously reported, accounting for shifts in the transitions from thermodynamic branch to flow branch both in premixed and nonpremixed mode. It also accounts for dynamical behavior in the vicinity of the transition, including oscillatory fluctuations. It is finally suggested that micromixing processes could induce oscillations in otherwise nonoscillating conditions if the system was perfectly homogeneous.