Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research· 2026Q1
Establishment of Sensitive Indicators and Safe-Operation Domain for Postignition in Ethylene Oxide Fixed-Bed Reactors via Experimental and Kinetic Analysis
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
CO and C3H6 concentrations act as sensitive indicators for postignition runaway risk in ethylene oxide fixed-bed reactors, with distinct inflection points between 240–250 °C, and the safe-operation window extends up to 475 °C before slow oxidation begins.
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Key points
- CO and C3H6 concentrations serve as sensitive indicators for postignition runaway risk in EO fixed-bed reactors.
- A distinct concentration inflection for CO and C3H6 occurs within the critical temperature range of 240–250 °C.
- Ethylene-EO mixtures exhibit slow oxidation starting at 475 °C and autoignition above 507 °C without catalysts.
- Increased oxygen and EO concentrations reduce ignition delay times and intensify combustion.
- Kinetic modeling confirms CO and C3H6 as key byproducts during postignition.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract In the ethylene(C2H4)-to-ethylene oxide (EO) process, ″postignition″ frequently occurs in the tail section of fixed-bed reactors, leading to emergency shutdowns, irreversible catalyst deactivation, and even fire or explosion accidents, thus posing severe threats to process safety and operational stability. To address this industrial challenge, single-tube fixed-bed reactor experiments with silver catalysts were first performed to screen sensitive indicators for postignition runaway risk in EO production. The concentration evolution of potential warning species was explored under varied temperature conditions. Experimental results show that CO and C3H6 act as reliable sensitive indicators for identifying postignition events, with a distinct concentration inflection occurring within the critical temperature range of 240–250 °C. Species concentrations within this turning-point interval can serve as thresholds for identifying the onset of postignition. These thresholds require adjustment according to the inlet oxygen content. Subsequently, a heated rapid compression machine (RCM) was adopted to measure autoignition temperatures and ignition delay times of C2H4-EO mixtures under diverse compositions and operating conditions in order to obtain the safe-operation window. RCM measurements indicate that the C2H4-EO mixture starts slow oxidation at 475 °C and presents obvious autoignition behavior above 507 °C without catalysts. Elevated oxygen and EO concentrations significantly reduce ignition delay and intensify combustion intensity. CHEMKIN software combined with the modified Aramco-Mech 3.0 mechanism was further applied to simulate high-temperature oxidation pathways of the C2H4-EO system at 500 °C, identifying CO and C3H6 as key byproducts generated during postignition. This work reveals the evolutionary characteristics of postignition in the EO synthesis process. The established sensitive indicator system and safe-operation strategy provide a theoretical basis and technical support for early warning and safety management of industrial-scale EO fixed-bed reactors.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Fluid Flow and Transfer ProcessesChemical Engineering