Spatial variation of a short-lived intermediate chemical species in a Couette reactor

Abstract

We have conducted experiments and simulations of the spatial variation of a short-lived intermediate species (triiodide) in the autocatalytic oxidation of arsenite by iodate in a reactor that is essentially one dimensional—the Couette reactor. (This reactor consists of two concentric cylinders with the inner one rotating and the outer one at rest; reagents are continuously fed and removed at each end in such a way that there is no net axial flux and there are opposing arsenite and iodate gradients.) The predictions of a one-dimensional reaction–diffusion model, which has no adjustable parameters, are in good qualitative (and, in some cases, quantitative) agreement with experiments. Thus, the Couette reactor, which is used to deliberately create spatial inhomogeneities, can be exploited to enhance the recovery of short-lived intermediate species relative to that which can be obtained with either a batch or continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor.