The behavior of a chemical system is affected by many physicochemical parameters. The sensitivity of the system's behavior to changes in parameters is known as parametric sensitivity. When a system operates in a parametrically sensitive region, its performance becomes unreliable and changes sharply with small variations in parameters. Thus, it is of great value to those who design and operate chemical systems to be able to analyze and predict their sensitivity behavior. This book is the first to provide a thorough treatment of the concept of parametric sensitivity and the mathematical tool it generated, sensitivity analysis. The emphasis is on applications to real situations. The book begins with definitions of various sensitivity indices and describes the numerical techniques most commonly used for their evaluation. Extensively illustrated chapters discuss sensitivity analysis in a variety of chemical reactors--batch, tubular, continuous-flow, fixed-bed--and in combustion systems, mechanistic studies, air pollution, and metabolic processes. Seniors and graduate students in various fields of science and engineering, researchers, and practicing engineers will welcome this valuable resource.

Heterogeneous catalysis is widely used in chemical, refinery, and pollution-control processes. For this reason, achieving optimal performance of catalysts is a significant issue for chemical engineers and chemists. This book addresses the question of how catalytic material should be distributed inside a porous support in order to obtain optimal performance. It treats single and multiple reaction systems, isothermal and nonisothermal conditions, pellets, monoliths, fixed-bed reactors, and membrane reactors. The effects of physicochemical and operating parameters are analyzed to gain insight into the underlying phenomena governing the performance of optimally designed catalysts. Throughout, the authors offer a balanced treatment of theory and experiment. Particular attention is given to problems of commercial importance. With its thorough treatment of the design, preparation, and utilization of supported catalysts, this book will be an ideal resource for graduate students, researchers, and practising engineers and chemists.

Since heterogeneous catalysis is widely used in chemical, refinery, and pollution-control processes, achieving optimal catalytic performance is a significant issue for chemical engineers and chemists. This book addresses the question of how catalytic material should be distributed inside a porous support to obtain optimal performance. It treats single and multiple reaction systems, isothermal and nonisothermal conditions, pellets, monoliths, fixed-bed reactors, and membrane reactors. The effects of physicochemical and operating parameters are analyzed to gain insight into the underlying phenomena governing the performance of optimally designed catalysts. Throughout, the authors offer a balanced treatment of theory and experiment and stress problems of commercial importance.