In this work, we studied the intrinsic kinetics of 1-butene isomerization over a commercial MgO catalyst using a Berty-type reactor (gradient-less recycle reactor). The Berty-type reactor has a behavior equivalent to a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with perfect mixing. The experimental results from this reactor were selected in a range in the absence of external and internal mass- and heat-transfer resistances, thereby representing the intrinsic kinetics. The 1-butene isomerization was carried out under atmospheric pressure, a WHSV of 1.05-5.47 h-1, and the reaction temperature from 350 °C to 450 °C. The kinetic models were established on the basis of different mechanisms for 1-butene isomerization over MgO. The results showed that the LHHW kinetic model provided the best agreement with the experimental data. The reactions involve three steps, including (1) adsorption of 1-butene on the active site, (2) the chemical surface reactions of 1-butene to trans- and cis-2-butene, and (3) the desorption of trans- and cis-2-butene. The surface reactions were assumed to be the rate-determining step. The percentage error of all predicted values was less than 5% under the studied operating conditions.
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