5.reaction Calorimetry PDF
5.reaction Calorimetry PDF
5.reaction Calorimetry PDF
5. Reaction Calorimetry
Keywords: bench scale reaction calorimeter, calorimetry, heat flow, heat balance,
power compensation, temperature oscillation, heat transfer coefficients,
isothermal, isoperibolic, adiabatic.
5.1. Introduction
Basic thermodynamic and kinetic data of chemical reactions, and some physicochemical
properties of reaction mixtures, can be determined experimentally using so called bench
scale reaction calorimeters. These have typical reaction volumes from 10 to 100 ml up
to several litres. They usually consist of a stirred reaction vessel and offer the possibility
of carrying out chemical reactions in batch, semi-batch or usually with modifications
of the device-, in the continuous mode. A condenser can be added to study the reaction
under reflux and special reactors are available in order to carry out reactions under high
pressure. Areas of application of reaction calorimetry include:
- determination of calorimetric data for reactor and process design (e.g., overall heat
release or supply during physical changes or chemical reactions, heat transfer
coefficients, specific heat capacity, adiabatic temperature rise, reactant
accumulation.)
- study of the kinetic behaviour of chemical reactions and or of physical changes.
- on-line monitoring of heat release rate and other analytical parameters for
subsequent process development for batch-, semi-batch and continuous reactions.
(E.g., study of the influence of mixing, errors in the charges or recipe, feed rate
errors, improper feed sequences and the effect of impurities, temperature or
concentration of reactants).
- development and optimisation of chemical processes with the objective, for
instance, of an increase of yield, selectivity or profitability.
5-1
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
5.2. Fundamentals
The basis of reaction calorimetry is to perform a heat balance on the reaction vessel. The
heat rate (power) released by, or supplied to, the chemical reactions, or physical
changes, can be determined as a difference between terms for the heat production, heat
accumulation and heat exchanged with the surroundings in a macroscopic heat balance
[Hemminger te al. (1984), Barton et al. (1997), Mathot (1994), Moritz (1995)].
In the isoperibolic mode the surroundings of the reaction mass (usually a jacket) are
maintained at a constant temperature. Exothermic or endothermic changes will produce
a temperature increase or decrease in the reactor. If the heat exchange between the
reactor and the jacket is very fast then the temperature gradient between them will not
exceed a few degrees Celsius.
Detailed information can be found in survey articles that present different designs of
calorimeters and their applications to the investigation of chemical reactions [Nilsson et
al. (1983), Lathi et al. (1995), Grnlund et al. (1991)].
According to the previous definitions, even a simple reaction flask in an oil bath with a
stirrer and a thermometer could be a reaction calorimeter. This would be true if the user
is able to perform a heat balance and calculate or measure the resulting power (energy
5-2
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
per unit time) being released from (or supplied to) the chemical reactions or physical
changes in the mixture being studied.
5.3.2. Devices using a jacketed vessel and control of the jacket temperature
The first approach is very similar to what happens in an industrial reactor: the control of
the reactor temperature is achieved by changing the inlet temperature of the circulating
fluid in the jacket. For example, if an exothermic change occurs in the reactor then the
temperature will initially start to rise. This is detected and then a temperature control loop
is used to manipulate the temperature of the fluid entering the reactor jacket such that
(essentially) isothermal conditions are restored in the reactor as quickly as possible. If the
reactor is operated in this essentially isothermally manner and if the mass flow, specific
heat capacity, inlet and outlet temperatures of the jacket fluid are known, then the heat
release rate due to chemical reactions, or physical changes, in the reactor can be
calculated as follows:
where:
q& r: heat release rate
mc: mass flow of the jacket fluid
cpc: specific heat capacity of the jacket fluid
Tcin: inlet temperature of the jacket fluid
Tcout: outlet temperature of the jacket fluid
q& loss: heat losses
If the reaction calorimeter is not operated isothermally, a heat accumulation term must be
added to the balance (Eq. 5.2):
dT
q& r = m c c pc (Tcout - Tcin ) + m r c pr r + q& loss [Eq. 5.2]
dt
where:
q& r: heat release rate
mc: mass flow of the jacket fluid
cpc: specific heat capacity of the jacket fluid
Tcin: inlet temperature of the jacket fluid
Tr: temperature of the reaction mass
Tcout: outlet temperature of the jacket fluid
q& loss: heat losses
mr: reaction mass
5-3
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
Note that mr, the reaction mass, will also have to account for the reactor parts submerged
in the reactants, e.g. baffles, probes, calibration heater, stirring system, etc.
In order to perform the balance, the rate of change of the temperature should be
determined continuously and the heat capacity of the reaction mass must be known, or be
determined by calibration. For example, electrical power can be added to the reactor in
the absence of other thermal effects due to reactions or physical changes. Eq. 5.2 is then
modified to the form in Eq. 5.3,
dT
q& c = m c c pc (Tcout - Tcin ) + m r c pr r [Eq. 5.3]
dt
where q& c is the calibration power. According to the previous assumptions, the only
unknown term is the specific heat capacity of the reaction mass that can thus be
determined. If all the values in the equations Eq 5.1, Eq. 5.2 and Eq. 5.3 are known or
measured (e.g. online), even a large-scale industrial reactor can be considered as a
reaction calorimeter. In fact, modern computer controlled reactors can use the on-line
calculated heat release rate as a variable in a cascade or feed forward temperature control
loop. On the lab scale, reaction calorimeters operating according to this principle are
useful for studying reaction masses with poor film heat transfer rates that are subject to
variation during reaction, such as for example polymerisations (reaction calorimeter RC1
modified by Moritz et al., isothermal heat balance reaction calorimeter (Zeton))
[(Mackenberg et al. (1998), Schulz (1996), Baranek et al. (1999), Pauer et al. (1999),
Tschonkou (1996)]. Furthermore the overall heat transfer coefficient can be determined
as a function of time and/or conversion: this gives important information for thermal
reactor design and reactor safety. If the other parameters are known and the heat release
rate qr can be measured according to Eq. 5.1, a determination of the term UA is possible
during a reaction or physical change using Eq. 5.4.
dT
q& r = U A (Tr - T j ) + m r c pr r + q& loss [Eq. 5.4]
dt
where:
U: overall heat transfer coefficient
A: heat transfer area
Tr: temperature of the reaction mass
Tj: jacket temperature
In principle, implementation of this method requires the knowledge of the overall heat
transfer coefficient and the heat transfer area throughout the whole course of the reaction.
In practice, a constant value determined from one calibration, or a linearly interpolated
relationship for the heat transfer coefficient determined from two calibrations before and
after the reaction, is used.
Most calibration devices in reaction calorimeters are simply an electrical resistance heater
submerged in the reaction mixture. It can be used to determine unknown variables,
usually in the absence of chemical reactions or physical changes. If the reactor
temperature remains constant then the overall heat transfer coefficient multiplied by the
heat transfer area (factor UA) can be determined according to Eq. 5.5. This can be
applied to both the steady state before calibration and the steady state during calibration.
By subtracting these 2 equations there is no need to determine the heat loss term (which
is assumed to remain constant.)
reactor and jacket temperature in a way that depends on the heat transfer rate. The phase
shift between the temperature variations of the jacket and the reactor makes it possible
to infer the value of the heat transfer coefficient during the reaction. The frequency
response analysis involved requires linearisation of the reaction kinetics at the mean
value of the temperature range used. This new method allows quasi-isothermal heat
flow calorimetric studies under conditions of continuously variable heat transfer
coefficient and requires only the use of a mathematical procedure for evaluation of the
measured data and a slightly modified process operation (TOC calorimeter Bocal
[Ferrara et al. (1998)], modified reaction calorimeter RC1).
d) Adiabatic calorimetry
Some commercially available devices can also operate in a pseudo adiabatic mode. In
this case the jacket temperature is set at any time close to the value of the reactor
temperature. The applications of adiabatic calorimetry for investigation of chemical
reactions and the definition of the chemical and safety data like the adiabatic
temperature rise and the value for the "Time to maximum rate" (TMR) are described in
the literature [Singh (1992), Townsend (1980), Steinbach (1998), Mosebach et al.
(1997)]. Extreme caution is advised when carrying out pseudo adiabatic experiments on
the scale of one or two litres. Violent runaway reactions can, and have, occurred. The
possibility of these being induced must first be eliminated using the thermal screening
techniques described in chapter 3 of HarsBook, or the small scale adiabatic techniques
described in Chapter 6.
a) Isoperibolic calorimetry
With some calorimeters both heat flow and heat balance calorimetry is possible, for
example by adding an additional vessel (filled with water or oil) between the reactor and
the jacket. By a combination of the heat flow from the reactor to this additional vessel
(the thermal ballast) and the heat flow from this vessel to the jacket, which is held
isothermal during the reaction, it is possible to determine the chemical heat flow
independently from the heat transfer value and also the change of the heat transfer value
during the reaction. (CALWIN by Moritz et al). Other isoperibolic calorimeters use a
second reference vessel in order to compensate for fluctuations in the temperature of the
heat exchange medium.
5-6
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
The reaction flask in an oil bath could be regarded as an isoperibolic calorimeter. The
main problem is that the value of UA in Eq. 5.4 is unknown. This problem is solved in
commercial calorimeters by calibration for the UA value using e.g., an electrical
resistance heater.
The advantages and disadvantages of the different calorimeter types and operation
modes are shown in the following table:
5-7
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
5-8
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
5-9
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
5.5. Conclusions
Reaction calorimeters allow the user to perform chemical reactions and induce physical
changes (e.g., distillation, crystallisation) under desired conditions in the laboratory.
Usually they offer the possibility of monitoring on line the heat exchanged by these
processes. This is very useful as a basis for scale-up to the pilot or industrial scale. The
thermal risks associated with the process can be easily assessed. Other analytical devices
(e.g., on-line FTIR or Raman-spectroscopy, particle sizing probes, turbidity probes, pH
or other ion selective probes, etc) can be used in association with a calorimeter to obtain
data for modelling and process optimisation studies. It is thus strongly recommended
that reaction calorimetry measurements should be performed throughout the different
stages of the life of a chemical process (specially before the pilot production or if
significant changes are to be introduced.)
5-10
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
5.6. References
Baranek, B.; Gottfried, M.; Korfhage, K.; Pauer, W.; Schulz, K.; Moritz, H-U. Closed
Loop Control of Chemical Composition in Free Radical Copolymerization by Online
Reaction Monitoring via Calorimetry and IR-Spectroscopy, RC User Forum 1999, Bern,
Switzerland
Barton, J.; Rogers, R. Chemical reaction hazards - a guide. Second Edition, Institution
of Chemical Engineers, Rugby, England, 1997
Carloff, R.; Prob, A.; Reichert, K-H. Chem. Eng. Technol., 17, 406, 1994
Lathi, M.; Avela, A.; Seppl, J. Thermochim. Acta, 262, 13-31, 1995
Lathi, M.; Avela, A.; Seppl, J. Thermochim. Acta, 262, 33-43, 1995
Mosebach, M.; Reichert, K-H. J. Applied Polym. Sci., Vol.66, 673-681, 1997
5-11
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet
THEMATIC NETWORK ON
HarsNet HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF HIGHLY REACTIVE SYSTEMS
Stockhausen, T.; Pr, J.; Moritz, H-U. 4th International Workshop on Polymer
Reaction Engineering, K.-H. Reichert u. H.-U. Moritz (Eds.), DECHEMA Monographie
Vol. 127, 341 349 1992
Tietze, A.; Prob, A.; Reichert, K-H. DECHEMA Monograph, 131, 673, 1995
5-12
INDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. PROJECT: BET2-0572
COORDINATION: Prof. Dr. R. Nomen Tel. +34-93-267 20 00 Fax. +34-93-205 62 66 http://www.iqs.url.es/harsnet