Differentiation of Catalyst and Catalyst Support in a Fixed Bed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Catalyst (Pd/Al2O3, d P = 3.42 mm ) and support particles in a fixed bed filled with n-heptane were differentiated by their transverse relaxation times T 2 calculated from 3D magnetic resonance images. Prior to T 2 evaluation the particles were identified in the data matrix and separated into distinct particles by suitable algorithms. The developed method can be used when modelling a trickle bed reactor operated with catalyst diluted by its support.