TY - JOUR A1 - Heinrich, Sebastian A1 - Edeling, Florian A1 - Liebner, Christian A1 - Hieronymus, Hartmut A1 - Lange, T. A1 - Klemm, E. T1 - Catalyst as ignition source of an explosion inside a microreactor JF - Chemical engineering science N2 - The present issue reports on a specific aspect of safety engineering of the heterogeneously catalysed oxidation of ethene in a continuous-flow microreactor. Conversion of ethene and the corresponding surface temperature of the catalyst were monitored for different reactor temperatures and total flow rates with a stoichiometric ethene/oxygen mixture for total oxidation. Safe operation of the highly exothermic oxidation was possible, but not in the whole parameter range. At high reactor temperatures and flow rates, ignition of an explosion inside the microreactor caused by a hot spot on the surface of the catalyst was observed for the first time. KW - Catalyst KW - Ethene KW - Explosions KW - Hot spot KW - Microstructure KW - Safety PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2012.08.049 SN - 0009-2509 VL - 84 SP - 540 EP - 543 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-26782 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -