Oxygen consumption rate model in HCl oxidation over a supported CuO-CeO₂ composite oxide catalyst under lean oxygen condition

Lean-oxygen oxidation of HCl, in which O₂ conversion can reach as high as ∼60 to ∼90%, can greatly simplify the process of recycling Cl₂ using gas-phase catalysis technology. The O₂ consumption rate in lean-oxygen HCl oxidation over a supported CuO-CeO₂ composite oxide catalyst was studied using an integral tube reactor. After eliminating the diffusion effects, three empirical kinetic models were proposed, which assumed O₂ adsorption, surface reaction, and Cl₂ desorption as the rate-controlling steps, respectively. Based on O₂ adsorption as the rate-controlling step, the results indicate that the kinetic Model I best describes the coincidence between the predicted results and the experimental data. The results laid an essential foundation for reactor simulation, scale-up, and optimization of the industrial process.