Reactor

Abstract

This reactor comprises: a honeycomb structure 10 that is provided with an outer peripheral wall 11 and partition walls 15 disposed inside the outer peripheral wall 11 and demarcating and forming a plurality of cells 14 extending from an inflow end surface 12 to an outflow end surface 13, and that can absorb and desorb a gas to be captured; and a heater 20 that is disposed outside the outer peripheral wall 11 of the honeycomb structure 10. In a cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the cells 14 extend, each partition wall 15 includes a first partition wall 15a extending in a radial direction.

Description

reactor

[0001] The present invention relates to a reactor.

[0002] To realize a decarbonized society, there is a growing need for technologies that capture and utilize greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere and exhaust gases. A typical conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology is Direct Air Capture (DAC), which adsorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. There are several types of DAC, including liquid absorption, membrane separation, and solid adsorption. Among these, in the solid adsorption method, an adsorbent such as a CO2 adsorbent (absorbent) is generally supported on a substrate. Honeycomb structures, which have a proven track record in purifying automobile exhaust gases, are expected to be used as substrates for the solid adsorption method.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a honeycomb ceramic structure for CO2 capture. This honeycomb ceramic structure includes a honeycomb ceramic substrate having porous partition walls, a plurality of inorganic support particles in at least one pore of the porous partition walls, and an organic carbon dioxide sorbent supported by at least one of the inorganic support particles. Patent Document 2 also describes a honeycomb structure having a plurality of partition walls extending axially from the inlet end to the outlet end, thereby forming a plurality of flow channels. The honeycomb structure includes a mixture of inorganic powder components and an organic binder, and an amine polymer having functional structural unit groups that absorb CO2 is dispersed in the inorganic powder components of the partition walls. The honeycomb structure can adsorb CO2 by passing a CO2-containing process gas through the cells. Furthermore, the CO2 adsorbed in the honeycomb structure can be desorbed by passing a purge gas (desorption gas) such as water vapor through the cells.

[0004] Special table 2018-538137 publication Special table 2015-508018 publication

[0005] In order to desorb CO2 adsorbed in a honeycomb structure, it is necessary to heat the honeycomb structure. However, when a conventional honeycomb structure is heated by a heater, it takes time to heat the entire honeycomb structure. For example, when the honeycomb structure is heated from the outer periphery, it takes time to heat the honeycomb structure to the center. As a result, the desorption efficiency of CO2 adsorbed in the honeycomb structure is not sufficient. Note that, although the above description has been given using an example in which the target gas to be captured is CO2, similar problems arise when adsorbing and desorbing other target gases to be captured.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a reactor that can quickly heat a honeycomb structure and improve the desorption efficiency of the target gas to be captured.

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into reactors that use a heater to heat a honeycomb structure capable of adsorbing and desorbing a target gas, and have found that the above problems can be solved by using a specific structure for the honeycomb structure, leading to the completion of the present invention. That is, the present invention is exemplified as follows.

[0008] <1> A reactor comprising: a honeycomb structure having an outer peripheral wall and partition walls disposed inside the outer peripheral wall to define a plurality of cells extending from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, the honeycomb structure being capable of adsorbing and desorbing a target gas to be captured; and a heater disposed outside the outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure, wherein the partition walls have first partition walls extending in a radial direction in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the cells extend.

[0009] <2> A reactor comprising: a honeycomb structure having an outer peripheral wall, an inner peripheral wall, and partition walls disposed between the outer peripheral wall and the inner peripheral wall to define a plurality of cells extending from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, the honeycomb structure being capable of adsorbing a target gas; and a heater disposed outside the outer peripheral wall and / or inside the inner peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure, wherein the partition walls have first partition walls extending in a radial direction in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the cells extend.

[0010] <3> The reactor according to <1> or <2>, wherein the partition walls further have second partition walls extending in a circumferential direction in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells.

[0011] <4> The reactor according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the partition wall contains, as a main component, an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured.

[0012] <5> The reactor according to <4>, wherein the adsorbent is an amine compound.

[0013] <6> The reactor according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the partition wall contains a ceramic or a resin as a main component, and a coating layer containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured is formed on a surface of the partition wall.

[0014] <7> The reactor according to <6>, wherein the adsorbent is an amine compound.

[0015] <8> The reactor according to <6> or <7>, wherein the ceramic is at least one selected from cordierite, mullite, alumina, silica, silicon carbide, and Si-bonded silicon carbide.

[0016] <9> The reactor according to any one of <6> to <8>, wherein the coating layer has a thickness of 50 to 500 μm.

[0017] <10> The cell density of the honeycomb structure is 3 to 300 cells / cm 2 <9> The reactor according to any one of <1> to <9>.

[0018] <11> The reactor according to any one of <1> to <10>, wherein the target gas to be captured is a greenhouse gas.

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a reactor that can quickly heat a honeycomb structure and improve the desorption efficiency of a target gas to be captured.

[0020] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a' of the reactor shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a' of the reactor shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb' of the reactor shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2E is a cross-sectional view taken along line cc' of the reactor shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 3F is a cross-sectional view taken along line dd' of the reactor shown in FIG. 4A.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and it should be understood that modifications and improvements made to the following embodiments based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> Fig. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a reactor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, perpendicular to the extension direction of cells of a honeycomb structure. Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the reactor shown in Fig. 1A taken along line a-a' (a cross-sectional view parallel to the extension direction of cells of a honeycomb structure of a reactor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention). Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view of another reactor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, perpendicular to the extension direction of cells of a honeycomb structure. Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the reactor shown in Fig. 2A taken along line bb' (a cross-sectional view parallel to the extension direction of cells of a honeycomb structure of another reactor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention).

[0023] The reactor shown in Figures 1A and 1B includes a honeycomb structure 10 and a heater 20. The honeycomb structure 10 includes an outer peripheral wall 11 and partition walls 15 disposed inside the outer peripheral wall 11 to define a plurality of cells 14 extending from an inlet end face 12 to an outlet end face 13, and is capable of adsorption and desorption of a target gas to be captured. The heater 20 is disposed outside the outer peripheral wall 11 of the honeycomb structure 10. In a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the cells 14 of the honeycomb structure 10 extend, the partition walls 15 have first partition walls 15a extending in the radial direction. With this structure, when the honeycomb structure 10 is heated by the heater 20, heat can be efficiently transferred in the radial direction via the first partition walls 15a, thereby enabling rapid heating up to the center of the honeycomb structure 10.

[0024] The number of the first partition walls 15a is not particularly limited and may be appropriately adjusted depending on the size of the honeycomb structure 10. The number of the first partition walls 15a is typically 2 to 500, preferably 3 to 400, and more preferably 4 to 300.

[0025] 2A and 2B is basically the same as the reactor shown in Figures 1A and 1B, but the partition walls 15 further have second partition walls 15b extending in the circumferential direction in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14. By adopting such a structure, the strength of the honeycomb structure 10 can be increased, and therefore the reliability as a reactor is improved.

[0026] The number of the second partition walls 15b is not particularly limited and may be appropriately adjusted depending on the size of the honeycomb structure 10. The number of the second partition walls 15b is typically 1 to 100, preferably 2 to 80, and more preferably 3 to 50.

[0027] The shape (external shape) of the honeycomb structure 10 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a circular cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, a square cylinder, or other polygonal cylinder. Therefore, the external shape of the honeycomb structure 10 in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14 (i.e., the external shape of the outer wall 11) may be a circle, an ellipse, a square, or other polygonal shape.

[0028] The thickness of the outer peripheral wall 11 is preferably greater than the thickness of the partition walls 15 (first partition walls 15a and second partition walls 15b). This configuration increases the strength of the outer peripheral wall 11, which is prone to fracture (e.g., cracks, breaks, etc.) due to external impacts. The thickness of the outer peripheral wall 11 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.10 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 0.20 mm to 8 mm, and even more preferably 0.30 mm to 5 mm, from the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the honeycomb structure 10. The thickness of the partition walls 15 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.05 mm to 5 mm, more preferably 0.10 mm to 4.5 mm, and even more preferably 0.15 mm to 4 mm, from the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the honeycomb structure 10 and reducing pressure loss when the process gas passes through the cells 14. In this specification, the "thickness of the outer peripheral wall 11" refers to the length from the boundary between the outer peripheral wall 11 and the outermost cell 14 or partition wall 15 to the side surface of the honeycomb structure 10 in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14 of the honeycomb structure 10. Furthermore, the "thickness of the partition wall 15" refers to the length of a line segment that crosses the partition wall 15 when the line segment connects the centers of gravity of adjacent cells 14 in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14 of the honeycomb structure 10. The thickness of the partition wall 15 refers to the average value of the thicknesses of all the partition walls 15.

[0029] The cell density of the honeycomb structure 10 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the honeycomb structure 10 and the amount of adsorption, it is set to 3 cells / cm. 2 ~300 cells / cm 2 Preferably, 4 cells / cm 2 ~280 cells / cm 2 More preferably, 5 cells / cm 2 ~250 cells / cm 2 In this specification, the term "cell density" refers to a value obtained by dividing the number of cells by the area of ​​one end face of the honeycomb structure 10 (the total area of ​​the partition walls 15 and the cells 14 excluding the outer peripheral wall 11).

[0030] The honeycomb structure 10 may be any structure capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured, and may be a honeycomb structure 10 made of a material containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured (hereinafter referred to as an "integrally molded honeycomb structure 10"), or may be a honeycomb structure 10 having a coating layer formed on the surface thereof, the coating layer containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured (hereinafter referred to as a "coated honeycomb structure 10").

[0031] In the integrally molded honeycomb structure 10, the partition walls 15 contain, as a main component, an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas. Furthermore, in the integrally molded honeycomb structure 10, the peripheral wall 11 may also contain, as a main component, an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas. An integrally molded honeycomb structure 10 containing such components can adsorb and desorb the target gas. Here, in this specification, "main component" refers to a component whose proportion in the total components exceeds 50 mass%. Furthermore, the peripheral wall 11 and the partition walls 15 may further contain an organic binder or an inorganic binder. Furthermore, the peripheral wall 11 and the partition walls 15 may further contain components other than the adsorbent, inorganic binder, and organic binder. For example, the peripheral wall 11 and the partition walls 15 may contain a surfactant, a pore-forming material, etc.

[0032] The adsorbent may be selected appropriately depending on the type of target gas, and is not particularly limited. Examples of adsorbents that are effective for adsorbing target gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), include amine compounds and organometallic complexes. Nanoporous ceramics or mesoporous silica supported with amine compounds and / or organometallic complexes may also be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The amine compound has an amino group (one or more selected from -NH2, -NHR, and -NRR' (R and R' represent organic groups)). While not intending to limit the present invention by theory, the amine compound can adsorb the target gas (e.g., CO2) by reacting with the target gas to generate a carbamate or bicarbonate. Examples of amine compounds include, but are not limited to, monoethanolamine (MEA) and N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). Furthermore, a weakly basic anion exchange resin having an amino group may also be used as the amine compound. Examples of weakly basic anion exchange resins having amino groups include styrene-based divinylbenzene polymers having amino groups (e.g., copolymers of styrene and divinylbenzene), and acrylic-based divinylbenzene polymers having amino groups (e.g., copolymers of divinylbenzene with one or both of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid). Examples of organometallic complexes include, but are not limited to, porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) having a structure capable of adsorbing target gases in their pores. Among the various adsorbents listed above, amine compounds are preferred. By using amine compounds, the adsorption amount of target gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) can be stably improved.

[0033] Examples of organic binders include methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl acetal, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl butyral, polybutadiene, methacrylic acid ester, acrylic, ethyl cellulose, silicone, polyolefin, etc. In particular, the use of water-soluble organic binders such as methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl acetal, polyethylene oxide, etc. can reduce environmental impact, the risk of organic solvent vapor during drying, and production costs.

[0034] Examples of inorganic binders include one or more selected from clay, diatomaceous earth, layered clay minerals, montmorillonite, hydrotalcite, activated clay, acid clay, hectorite, halloysite, attapulgite, silica, alumina, talc, chlorite, vermiculite, mica, illite, pyrophyllite, sericite, kaolin, sepiolite, boehmite, palygorskite, and bentonite. Among these, the inorganic binder preferably contains one or more selected from sepiolite, boehmite, bentonite, silica, kaolin, and talc, and more preferably contains sepiolite.

[0035] From the viewpoint of achieving a good balance between the ability to adsorb the target gas to be captured, the suppression of cracking during drying, and water resistance, it is preferable that the content of the adsorbent in the outer peripheral wall 11 and the partition walls 15 is 30 to 96 mass%, the content of the inorganic binder in the outer peripheral wall 11 and the partition walls 15 is 0 to 30 mass%, and the content of the organic binder in the outer peripheral wall 11 and the partition walls 15 is 3 to 70 mass%.

[0036] The integrally molded honeycomb structure 10 can be manufactured by kneading a molding material containing a solvent, an adsorbent, an organic binder, and an inorganic binder to prepare a clay, which is then molded into a honeycomb shape and dried. Examples of the solvent (dispersion medium) include water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent such as alcohol, with water being particularly preferred. A known kneading machine can be used to knead the molding material. The molding method is not particularly limited, but extrusion molding is commonly used. During extrusion molding, a honeycomb structure 10 having the desired shape can be produced by using a die having the desired overall shape, cell shape, partition wall thickness, cell density, etc. For drying, conventionally known drying methods such as hot air drying, microwave drying, dielectric drying, reduced-pressure drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying can be used.

[0037] In the coated honeycomb structure 10, the partition walls 15 contain ceramic or resin as a main component, and a coating layer containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured is formed on the surface of the partition walls 15. In the coated honeycomb structure 10, the outer peripheral wall 11 can also have the same structure as the partition walls 15. By using such a coated honeycomb structure 10, the target gas to be captured can be adsorbed and desorbed by the coating layer.

[0038] The ceramics are not particularly limited, and cordierite, mullite, alumina, silica, silicon carbide, Si-bonded silicon carbide, etc. can be used. The use of such ceramics can increase the strength of the honeycomb structure 10. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0039] The adsorbent contained in the coating layer can be the same as the adsorbent used in the integrally molded honeycomb structure 10, and is preferably an amine compound. By using an amine compound, the amount of adsorption of the target gas to be captured, such as carbon dioxide (CO), can be stably improved.

[0040] The thickness of the coating layer is not particularly limited and may be determined depending on the size of the cells 14. For example, from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient contact with air, the thickness of the coating layer is preferably 50 μm or more, more preferably 55 μm or more, and even more preferably 60 μm or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of preventing the coating layer from peeling off from the partition walls 15 and the outer peripheral wall 11, the thickness of the coating is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 400 μm or less, and even more preferably 350 μm or less.

[0041] The coated honeycomb structure 10 can be manufactured by forming a coating layer on the surfaces of the partition walls 15 and the peripheral wall 11 after fabricating the honeycomb structure 10. In fabricating the honeycomb structure 10, a clay containing ceramic powder is extruded into a desired shape to produce a honeycomb formed body. At this time, the shape and density of each cell, the shape and thickness of the partition walls 15 and the peripheral wall 11, etc. can be controlled by selecting an appropriate die and jig. The honeycomb formed body is dried and fired to obtain the honeycomb structure 10. The drying method is not particularly limited, and conventionally known drying methods such as hot air drying, microwave drying, dielectric drying, reduced pressure drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying can be used. The method for forming the coating layer is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, the following method. The honeycomb structure 10 is immersed in a slurry containing an adsorbent, an organic binder, and a dispersion medium for a predetermined period of time, and excess slurry from the end faces and periphery of the honeycomb structure 10 is removed by blowing and wiping. The dispersion medium can be water, an organic solvent (e.g., toluene, xylene, ethanol, n-butanol, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, terpineol, dihydroterpineol, texanol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether), or a mixture thereof. Thereafter, the slurry is dried to form a coating layer on the surfaces of the partition walls 15 and the like. For drying, the honeycomb structure 10 may be heated to a temperature of, for example, about 120 to 600°C. The series of steps of immersion, slurry removal, and drying may be performed only once, but by repeating the steps multiple times, a coating layer of a desired thickness can be formed.

[0042] The heater 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can be disposed outside the outer peripheral wall 11 of the honeycomb structure 10, and any known heater can be used. The heater 20 may be in direct contact with the outer peripheral wall 11 of the honeycomb structure 10, or may be in indirect contact with the outer peripheral wall 11. For example, a commercially available sheet-shaped heater 20 can be used as the heater 20.

[0043] The reactor according to the first embodiment of the present invention can further include a housing that accommodates the honeycomb structure 10 and the heater 20. The housing is preferably connected to a pipe that can supply and discharge a process gas containing the target gas to be captured and a desorbed gas. A reactor having such a structure can easily achieve adsorption and desorption of the target gas to be captured.

[0044] In the reactor according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when adsorbing a gas to be captured (in the case of the adsorption mode), a process gas containing the gas to be captured is circulated through the reactor, thereby allowing the gas to be adsorbed by the honeycomb structure 10. In addition, when desorbing a gas to be captured (in the case of the desorption mode), this reactor can desorb the gas to be captured by circulating the desorbed gas through the reactor while heating the honeycomb structure 10 with the heater 20.

[0045] Here, in this specification, "processing gas" refers to various gases containing the target gas to be captured. The processing gas is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include exhaust gases emitted from factories and power plants, and the atmosphere. The exhaust gas is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include combustion exhaust gases generated when burning fossil fuels, coal gasification gas obtained by gasifying coal, and natural gas in thermal power plants and steelworks. The target gas to be captured is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulfur oxides (SO x ), hydrogen sulfide (HS), and various other gases. Among these, the reactor according to the first embodiment of the present invention is particularly useful for recovering greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO) contained in combustion exhaust gases and the atmosphere. In addition, in this specification, the term "desorbed gas" refers to a gas that can be desorbed from the target gas captured in the honeycomb structure 10 and discharged from the reactor. The desorbed gas may be selected appropriately depending on the type of target gas. For example, when the target gas is carbon dioxide, water vapor or the like can be used.

[0046] <Embodiment 2> The reactor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention differs from the reactor according to embodiment 1 of the present invention in the shape of the honeycomb structure 10 and the position at which the heater 20 can be arranged, but other configurations are the same as the reactor according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Therefore, a description of the same parts as those in the reactor according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In each diagram of the reactor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, the components indicated by the same reference numerals as those in each diagram of the reactor according to embodiment 1 of the present invention are the same.

[0047] Fig. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a reactor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, taken along line c-c' of the reactor shown in Fig. 3A (a cross-sectional view parallel to the extension direction of the cells of the honeycomb structure of the reactor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention). Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view of another reactor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, taken along line dd' of the reactor shown in Fig. 4A (a cross-sectional view parallel to the extension direction of the cells of the honeycomb structure of the reactor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention).

[0048] The reactor shown in Figures 3A and 3B includes a honeycomb structure 10 and a heater 20. The honeycomb structure 10 includes an outer peripheral wall 11, an inner peripheral wall 16, and partition walls 15 disposed between the outer peripheral wall 11 and the inner peripheral wall 16 to define a plurality of cells 14 extending from an inflow end face 12 to an outflow end face 13, and is capable of adsorbing a target gas. The heater 20 is disposed on the outside of the outer peripheral wall 11 of the honeycomb structure 10. The heater 20 may be disposed on the inside of the inner peripheral wall 16 as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, or may be disposed both on the outside of the outer peripheral wall 11 and on the inside of the inner peripheral wall 16 of the honeycomb structure 10. In a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14 of the honeycomb structure 10, the partition walls 15 have first partition walls 15a extending in the radial direction. By using this structure, when the honeycomb structure 10 is heated by the heater 20, heat can be efficiently transferred in the radial direction through the first partition wall 15a, making it possible to quickly heat the honeycomb structure 10 to its center.

[0049] 4A and 4B is basically the same as the reactor shown in Figures 3A and 3B, but the partition walls 15 further have second partition walls 15b extending in the circumferential direction in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14. By adopting such a structure, the strength of the honeycomb structure 10 can be increased, and therefore the reliability as a reactor is improved.

[0050] The shape of the hollow portion formed inside the inner peripheral wall 16 of the honeycomb structure 10 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a circular cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, a rectangular prism, or another polygonal prism. Therefore, the shape of the hollow portion in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14 of the honeycomb structure 10 (i.e., the inner shape of the inner peripheral wall 16) may be a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, or another polygon. Note that the shape (outer shape) of the honeycomb structure 10 and the shape of the hollow portion may be the same or different, but are preferably the same from the viewpoint of resistance to external impacts, thermal stress, etc.

[0051] The thickness of the inner peripheral wall 16 is preferably greater than the thickness of the partition walls 15. Such a configuration can increase the strength of the inner peripheral wall 16, which is prone to destruction (e.g., cracks, breaks, etc.) due to internal impacts. The thickness of the inner peripheral wall 16 can be the same as the thickness of the outer peripheral wall 11. For example, the thickness of the inner peripheral wall 16 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the honeycomb structure 10, it is preferably 0.10 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 0.20 mm to 8 mm, and even more preferably 0.30 mm to 5 mm. In this specification, the "thickness of the inner peripheral wall 16" refers to the length from the boundary between the inner peripheral wall 16 and the innermost cell 14 or partition wall 15 to the side surface of the honeycomb structure 10 in the normal direction of the side surface, in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the cells 14 of the honeycomb structure 10.

[0052] The honeycomb structure 10 having the inner peripheral wall 16 can be manufactured by selecting a die and a jig having an appropriate shape corresponding to the shape during extrusion molding.

[0053] As described above, the heater 20 may be disposed outside the outer peripheral wall 11 of the honeycomb structure 10, may be disposed inside the inner peripheral wall 16, or may be disposed both outside the outer peripheral wall 11 and inside the inner peripheral wall 16 of the honeycomb structure 10. By disposing the heater 20 both outside the outer peripheral wall 11 and inside the inner peripheral wall 16 of the honeycomb structure 10, the honeycomb structure 10 can be heated even more quickly.

[0054] Like the reactor according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the reactor according to the second embodiment of the present invention can further include a housing for accommodating the honeycomb structure 10 and the heater 20. When this reactor adsorbs a gas to be captured (in the adsorption mode), a process gas containing the gas to be captured is circulated through the reactor, thereby allowing the gas to be adsorbed by the honeycomb structure 10. When this reactor desorbs a gas to be captured (in the desorption mode), the reactor can desorb the gas to be captured by circulating the desorbed gas through the reactor while heating the honeycomb structure 10 with the heater 20.

[0055] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 honeycomb structure 11 outer peripheral wall 12 inlet end face 13 outlet end face 14 cell 15 partition wall 15a first partition wall 15b second partition wall 16 inner peripheral wall 20 heater

Claims

1. A reactor comprising: a honeycomb structure having an outer peripheral wall and partition walls disposed inside the outer peripheral wall that define a plurality of cells extending from an inlet end face to an outlet end face, and capable of adsorbing and desorbing a target gas to be captured; and a heater disposed outside the outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure, wherein the partition walls have first partition walls that extend in a radial direction in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the cells extend.

2. A reactor comprising: a honeycomb structure capable of adsorbing a target gas; the honeycomb structure having an outer peripheral wall, an inner peripheral wall, and partition walls disposed between the outer peripheral wall and the inner peripheral wall to define a plurality of cells extending from the inlet end face to the outlet end face; and a heater disposed outside the outer peripheral wall and / or inside the inner peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure; wherein, in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the cells extend, the partition walls have first partition walls extending in a radial direction.

3. A reactor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition wall further has a second partition wall extending in the circumferential direction in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the cells extend.

4. The reactor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition wall contains, as a main component, an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured.

5. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the adsorbent is an amine compound.

6. A reactor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition wall contains ceramic or resin as a main component, and a coating layer containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing the target gas to be captured is formed on the surface of the partition wall.

7. The reactor of claim 6, wherein the adsorbent is an amine compound.

8. The reactor according to claim 6, wherein the ceramic is at least one selected from cordierite, mullite, alumina, silica, silicon carbide, and Si-bonded silicon carbide.

9. The reactor according to claim 6, wherein the coating layer has a thickness of 50 to 500 μm.

10. The cell density of the honeycomb structure is 3 to 300 cells / cm 2 The reactor according to claim 1 or 2, 11. The reactor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the target gas to be captured is a greenhouse gas.

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