Impact of the porous-medium microstructure on the rate of heterogeneous reactions

A mathematical model for a reacting porous medium is developed. The model allows uniform consideration of heterogeneous addition reactions (such as, for instance, methane pyrolysis) and heterogeneous decomposition (gasification) reactions. Criterial relations between the degree of porous-frame metamorphism, structural parameter, and dimensionless time are obtained. Characteristic times of pyrolysis and gasification processes are compared with the times predicted by model calculations and with available experimental data. The largest observed deviation does not exceed 20%.