§1065.1115 Reactor design and setup.

Vanadium measurements rely on a reactor that adsorbs sublimation vapors of vanadium onto an alumina capture bed with high surface area.

(a) Configure the reactor with the alumina capture bed downstream of the catalyst in the reactor's hot zone to adsorb vanadium vapors at high temperature. You may use quartz beads upstream of the catalyst to help stabilize reactor gas temperatures. Select an alumina material and design the reactor to minimize sintering of the alumina. For a 1-inch diameter reactor, use 4 to 5 g of ¹/₈ inch extrudates or -14/+24 mesh (approximately 0.7 to 1.4 mm) gamma alumina (such as Alfa Aesar, aluminum oxide, gamma, catalyst support, high surface area, bimodal). Position the alumina downstream from either an equivalent amount of -14/+24 mesh catalyst sample or an approximately 1-inch diameter by 1 to 3-inch long catalyst-coated monolith sample cored from the production-intent vanadium catalyst substrate. Separate the alumina from the catalyst with a 0.2 to 0.4 g plug of quartz wool. Place a short 4 g plug of quartz wool downstream of the alumina to maintain the position of that bed. Use good engineering judgment to adjust as appropriate for reactors of different sizes.