Improving the rigor and reproducibility of catalyst testing and evaluation in the laboratory

Abstract

Experimental testing and evaluation of catalysts in reactors is a central feature of fundamental catalysis science and reaction engineering. Measurements must be reproducible and interpretable to provide evidence for mechanistic studies or structure–function relationships, or to yield robust and intrinsically meaningful parameters to enable reactor scale-up and process development. Consequently, catalysis practitioners should seek to plan and perform catalyst testing in a manner that distinguishes between the intrinsic chemical kinetics governed by the catalyst and hydrodynamic, transport, and deactivation processes introduced by the form of the catalyst, the reactor vessel, and the nature of the contacting fluid. We highlight the importance of clear testing procedures for both the individual practitioner and the catalysis community and then discuss the sources and methods to address key sources of artifacts in catalyst testing. We organize sections in the form of questions practitioners should ask themselves when planning a catalyst testing campaign. This article references the original literature but also recasts the catalyst testing procedure in the form of a workflow diagram and illustrated depictions of the control experiments implemented within our laboratories to minimize the occurrence of artifacts. The content reflects our collective knowledge in the design, set up, and use of laboratory scale reactors for catalyst testing.