A Multipurpose Parallelized 49-Channel Reactor for the Screening of Catalysts: Methane Oxidation as the Example Reaction

A 49-channel parallel reactor for the high throughput screening of catalysts has been developed. The reactor consists of a stainless steel body connected to a multiport valve via capillaries. For product analysis almost any technique can be used. In case of methane oxidation a two-GC setup with a hot and a cold column provided the necessary speed of analysis. The reactor was shown to give data of a quality close to the data quality obtained from measurements in a conventional single-tube flow reactor. Using this reactor setup it is possible to achieve a test capacity of 49 samples per day. If tests are to be performed at several different temperatures and different residence times, the cycle times are becoming correspondingly longer.