Kinetics of reaction and deactivation: Cumene disproportionation on a commercial hydrocracking catalyst

Abstract

Cumene disproportionation has been utilized as a probe reaction to study the acidic function of a hydrocracking catalyst. Differential rate data obtained in a fixed-bed microreactor at total pressures near 8 atm and temperatures ranging from 428 to 455 °K have been extrapolated to time zero by two different techniques in order to offset effects of slow catalyst deactivation during the experiments. The resultant initial rate data have been shown to be consistent with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction model involving two adjacently adsorbed cumene molecules.