Torftech sold its first TORBED processor for catalyst applications in 1997. Since then, the combination of strong process control and the ability to handle fine, attrition-sensitive powders has made the technology a natural fit for industrial catalyst processing. Our TORWAVE processor extends this capability by adding selective microwave heating to the TORBED platform, creating new possibilities for one of the most persistent challenges in catalyst regeneration: removing coke deposits while minimising damage to the catalyst’s active phase.
Catalyst regeneration is unusual among thermal-processing duties. The catalyst is a high-value engineered material designed to withstand continuous circulation and repeated thermal cycling with minimal loss of performance. The gas-solid environment must therefore provide effective heat and mass transfer while handling the solids gently, using short residence times, thorough mixing and controlled particle motion.
In conventional combustion-air regeneration, heat is transferred to the catalyst, support and coke-bearing deposits through the same surrounding thermal environment. Although temperature and oxygen can be controlled to limit damage, the active catalyst remains exposed to the conditions that promote sintering and loss of surface area. Microwave heating offers a different route: depending on the catalyst formulation and operating conditions, coke, residual moisture and some metal-containing species may absorb microwave energy more strongly than the support. This creates the potential for more targeted decoking, with reduced thermal exposure of the catalyst itself.