WO2001027607A1

WO2001027607A1 - In-situ process probes

Info

Publication number: WO2001027607A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/027693
Authority: WO
Inventors: Donald A. Szczepanski; Mark Bergeron
Original assignee: Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation
Priority date: 1999-10-08
Filing date: 2000-10-06
Publication date: 2001-04-19
Also published as: AU7869100A

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system (10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) and method for inserting and removing materials (12) into a process stream (4) while the process is in normal operation, or is being operated under any other specified conditions not normally contemplated as being useful for the particular solid material (12) selected. Through use of this system (10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) and method, a great deal of information concerning such materials (12) may be developed and evaluated. The materials (12) may be heterogeneous test solids and may include catalysts, desiccants, indicators, etc.

Description

In-Situ Process Probes

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a combination of wares which comprise a system for evaluating a material which may include catalysts, sorbents, adsorbents, molecular sieves, and other heterogeneous test materials under actual process conditions. Through use of the combination and processes of the invention, advantages heretofore unavailable may be derived.

Background Various chemical processes are known in which the presence of a collection or bed of heterogeneous particles or bodies is beneficially exposed to one or more chemical materials or reactants under prescribed conditions of temperature and/or pressure, in order to effect a physical or chemical change or reaction of the such materials. A typical example of such an exposure involves the use of a heterogeneous catalyst to cause the reaction between two gaseous reactants.

Once a reactor that has been charged with a new catalyst is running and producing an intended product, it is not desirable to shut the reactor down until the catalyst activity /selectivity degrades to a point where recharging with a fresh catalyst is economically advantageous. Thus, it is in general undesirable to "switch-on" and "switch- off a typical catalyst-bearing reactor at will. For this reason alone, it is difficult to evaluate potential catalyst materials in an actual commercial reactor, since materials which are suitable as candidate catalysts must be loaded into the reactor prior to start up and may not be removed until the reactor is next shut down for routine maintenance or re-freshing the main catalyst charge. Therefore, the best place which those skilled in the art who produce catalyst materials have found to evaluate their materials are bench-scale reactor prototype reaction vessels and pilot plants which may be much more easily started up and shut down than a full-size reactor system. Unfortunately, the way in which a particular catalyst material functions can vary to a significant degree when using such bench-scale models and pilot plants, owing to differences in configuration, heat transfer, flow rates, etc. It is often the case that a catalyst manufacturer learns that candidate catalyst materials that work well in the catalyst manufacturer's bench scale reactor or pilot plant turn out to not perform as well in a commercial reactor in terms of the activity, selectivity, or regenerability expected. The differences between the conditions existing in the catalyst manufacturer's pilot plant reactor and a commercial reactor are in all but the most obvious cases wholly unpredictable with regard to their overall outcome. Thus, catalyst manufacturers and catalyst consumers are often dismayed by the actual performance of a particular catalyst in a commercial reactor. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide a means by which an existing commercial reactor or process stream could be adapted to receive and maintain test amounts of a test material (such as a candidate catalyst material), at a selected location within such reactor or process stream, so as to expose them to conditions normally encountered by the test material in the reactor or process stream during its normal operational parameters. Currently, it is known in the art to use "baskets" of catalyst to place samples of a test catalyst in a commercial bed for evaluation. However, the commercial bed must be shut down for insertion or removal of the test baskets. It would be desirable to provide such a means which was capable of either or both the functions of adding or removing catalyst or other materials from the reactor or process during its normal (or other specified) process conditions, without the need to shut down the reactor prior to the removal or insertion of such materials. The present invention provides such means.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed at a method for exposing a solid substance to a chemical process stream during the normal flow of a process stream, while maintaining the flow of the process stream uninterrupted by acts or steps associated with the exposure of the solid substance to the process stream. In one form of the invention, a solid substance may be placed within the plumbing, pipes, fixtures, or hardware ("process wares") in the location where the process stream normally exists, prior to causing the process stream to exist in the process wares, such as in the case immediately prior to the start-up of a reactor system. In a preferred form of the invention, a solid substance may be introduced into the process stream while the process is live, from outside of the process wares in which the process stream is contained, without any leakage of the contents of the process stream to the surroundings of the container, and without any leakage of the contents of the surroundings into the process stream.

The invention also comprises means for removal of the solid substance from the process stream. Further, the invention comprises means for altering the location of the solid substance within the process stream. The invention also includes the analysis of the solid substance either before or after (or both) exposure to the process stream. According to the invention, the insertion and removal of a sample of solid substance, such as a catalyst test sample, desiccant, or other desired sorbent may be accomplished within any chemical process line, storage vessel, reaction vessel, or any other containment device or system, while maintaining the process flow and/or conditions for evaluation of the effect of processing conditions on the sample, without the need to shut down or otherwise substantially alter the normal operation of the particular process.

The invention includes a system for evaluating solid substances including without limitation candidate catalyst materials ("test materials"), by permitting one to insert or remove test materials from a commercial reactor or process stream during its normal operation. Test materials suitable to be inserted or removed from a reactor according to the invention include by way of illustration only and not by any means delimitive: desiccants, acid indicators, base indicators, adsorbents, corrosion indicators, and catalyst materials. In fact, any solid substance that is capable of being contained within a

"containing means" (as herein defined) and inserted or isolated from the reactor according to the invention is a suitable material useful for evaluation of reactor performance or performance of the solid substance according to the invention.

In association with a combination and process according to the present invention in its intended function, there must also be present a chemical reactor, vessel, process stream, etc., and such is conveniently provided by most closed-loop chemical reactor systems. These typically include a feed line, a return line, and a reactor, although other reactor systems and process streams are suitable for use in accordance with the process and wares of the instant invention provided they contain one or more gaseous or liquid reactant(s). In a preferred form, the invention also includes a valve means attached to a reactor, wherein the valve means is adapted to receive the containing means according to the invention, wherein the valve means provides for isolation of conditions outside of the reactor from those conditions inside the reactor during insertion of the containing means into the reactor, or during removal of the containing means from the reactor, or during reactor operation when the containing means is in a stationary position within the feed line.

Upon removal, an exposed test material may be analyzed for a number of physical and/or chemical properties, depending upon the nature of the test material and the purpose of the evaluation. For example, when the test material is a catalyst, some possible analyses to be carried out are those relating to the presence of catalyst poisons, catalyst durability, activity, selectivity, etc.

Brief Description of Drawings

In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a process vessel having a feed line and a return line;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a block valve equipped with wares according to the invention;

FIG. 3A is a side schematic view of the wares associated with one form of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a side schematic view of the wares associated with one form of the present invention; FIG. 3C is a side schematic view of the wares associated with one form of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a containing means according to one form of the invention; and

FIG. 4B is an end perspective view of a containing means according to the invention. Detailed Description

The following description of the invention contains reference to a continuous reactor system wherein the test material is a catalyst. While illustration of the invention is served well by this description, the process and hardwares associated herewith should not be considered to be in any way limited by such mention. The combinations and processes provided according to the invention are suitable for use with any system in which a bed of heterogeneous particles bring about any compositional or physical change, whether they be considered as reaction vessels, pipelines, kettles, autoclaves, furnaces, crackers, distillation apparati adsorption, absorption, etc. Additionally, although one preferred form of the invention includes the loading of the containing means described below with a catalyst material, it is within the scope of the invention to load other materials, which may comprise any solid matter (including particulate matter) into the containing means, including without limitation: acid or base indicators, adsorbents, absorbents, desiccants, filter media, zeolites, corrosion indicators, activated charcoals, scavengers, etc. Referring to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1 there is shown a general schematic representation of a reaction vessel 2, to which is connected at least one feed line 4, and a return line 6. The feed line and return lines are connected to a pre-heat exchanger 8, the use of which is well known to those skilled in the art of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions. Also shown in FIG. 1, in line with the feed line 4 is a block valve or process nozzle 10, and such are well known in the art of chemical processing equipment.

FIG. 2 shows a more close up view of the block valve or process nozzle 10 and its relation to other portions of feed line 4, with a device adapted to carry out a process set forth herein in position at a suitable and desired process location. One preferred combination adapted to carry out the process of this invention includes a rod portion 20 having a first and second end portion that an operator may use to alter the position of the containing means 12 disposed on the second end portion by movement of the first end portion of the rod, by hand or with the aid of other machinery.

As used in this specification and the appended claims the term "containing means" includes any container having any configuration into which solid particles of any material to be tested may be placed. Such term includes such containers having any geometrical shape, including without limitation spherical, rectangular solid, square solid, cylindrical, etc., and which also includes at least one opening in one of the faces or outer surface of its construction so as to permit the process stream present (which in one embodiment may be one or more gases) to pass through the walls of the container and contact the matter housed in the containing means, which may be a catalyst in one form of the invention. A preferred containing means according to the invention includes a plurality of holes on its faces or outer surface, wherein the holes are smaller than the size of the particles which are to be contained in the containing means. In an alternative form of the invention, a wire mesh, inert bag, or polymeric netting may be used to contain the heterogeneous particles, and then the mesh, wire, or netting is inserted into the containing means, in which embodiment the containing means has larger holes in its outer surface or wall than would otherwise have been possible in the absence of such mesh, wire, or netting. Typical materials of construction for the frame portion of containing means into which catalysts are to be contained are stainless steels or other metallurgies as may be appropriate for the process under review, although any material which is inert to the reactant(s) encountered may be utilized as a material of construction.

In FIG. 2 are also shown rod collar 14, bleeder valve 16 (which may be considered a vent), packed compression fitting 18, which is also often referred to as a "bladder valve" or "packing gland" by those skilled in the art, first end portion 24 of rod 20, and flange 22. According to the hardwares set forth in this FIG. 2, the containing means may be inserted into a reactor or a process line associated therewith by first connecting the packing gland mounting flange 22 to the closed block valve or process nozzle 10, closing vent valve 16, opening block valve or process nozzle 10, and then passing the basket through the opened block valve or process nozzle 10 by means of the rod 20 through the packing gland 18. The packing gland 18 provides a seal through which the rod can be moved to position the containing means in the process stream, while maintaining the contents of the reactor in isolation from the surroundings. Prior to the above insertion procedure, the containing means is first charged with the desired test material. The charged containing means 12 and associated rod 20 are then placed in the mounting flanged packing gland 18. Next, the flanged packing gland holding the charged containing means is mounted to the process block valve or process nozzle 10. Then, once the flanged packing gland 18 is attached to the process block valve or process nozzle 10, the block valve or process nozzle valve is opened and the packing gland is loosened just enough to allow the rod to slide through the packing gland and move the containing means into the process. After the containing means is positioned, the block valve or process nozzle remains opened and the packing gland is tightened to fix the containing means in position and seal the insertion point, as is known to those skilled in the art of the use of such packing glands. For removal, a reverse order of the aforesaid is employed. FIG. 3A shows the wares associated with the aforesaid process in accordance with a preferred form of the invention. In this figure, there is a process stream 19 contained in a reaction vessel, reactor, pipe, etc., which is isolated from the ambient conditions. To the wares in which process stream 19 is contained is affixed a block valve or process nozzle 10 and associated flange 7 by which the contents of the reaction vessel are accessible. An element of the wares of the invention is the combination comprising a flange 13 which is complementary to flange 7, and which includes a tubular portion 69 having a first end portion that is connected to said flange 13 and a second end portion that has packed gland 73 (packed compression fitting) affixed to it. The packed gland portion 73 includes a seal disposed in an effective position to extend coextensively about the rod 20 to substantially preclude any exchange of matter from one side of the seal to the other, and particularly to isolate the ambient conditions from the process stream 19 when a process according to this invention is carried out. Also shown in FIG. 3A is the containing means 12, rod portion 20.

FIG. 3B shows the wares according to FIG. 3A; however having the flanges 13 and 7 mated to one another by conventional means, such as bolts 30. In such configuration, the valve 10 is closed, thus maintaining the process stream separate from the containing means 12. Next valve 10 is opened and the rod portion 20 is caused to be moved so as to expose containing means (and its contents) to the process stream 19, as such configuration is more clearly shown in FIG. 3C. Once the material in the containing means 12 has been exposed to the process stream for the desired amount of time, rod portion 20 may be withdrawn and valve 10 subsequently closed. Pressure is equalized with ambient pressure in space 88 surrounding the containing means by opening the bleeder valve 16. After pressure equalization, the containing means is removed by disconnecting the flanges 13 and 7 from one another to recover the contents of the containing means for subsequent study or analysis.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a containing means 12 according to a preferred form of the invention, in which the containing means includes a first collar-shaped end portion 103 and a second collar shaped end portion 105, which end portions are connected to one another by means of a plurality of support rods 101, thus providing spaces 131 inherent in the construction as a whole. In one preferred form of the invention, the spaces 131 between the support rods 101 are covered by a perforated metal sheet or metal screen to contain the test material. The inner portion 107 of the second end portion 105 is provided with threads which are complementary to those on plug portion 109, which may be conveniently affixed to the end of the containing means once a desired material has been charged to the containing means, by twisting. In one form of the invention, the first collar shaped end portion includes a bottom portion 169 comprising threads 111 which are complementary to threads 113 that are disposed on the end of rod 20, to provide convenient attachment/disengagement of the rod portion 20 from the containing means 12. A provision 181 for a locking set screw having a bore that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the threads 111 is preferred, but not necessary.

FIG. 4B is a side view of the containing means, showing the locations of the support rods 101 according to one preferred form of the invention.

Thus, it is seen that the wares associated with carrying out a process according to the invention comprises: a) a rod portion having a first and second end portion, b) a means for containing a solid material ("containing means"), wherein the containing means is attached to the second end portion of the rod portion to form a rod/containing means composite; and 3) a tubular portion having a first end portion and a second end portion, with a packing gland disposed on said first end portion, wherein said packing gland includes a hole disposed through it that is adapted to receive a rod and to maintain such rod to be slidably mounted within such hole, and further including a seal which extends coextensively about said rod and said packing gland hole to effectively preclude contact of matter on one side of the end cap with matter on the other side of said end cap.

Various wares may be employed to carry out the process of the instant invention.

As mentioned, all containers that are functionally capable of containing a test material while permitting conditions encountered in a reactor to penetrate its walls (including chemical composition, temperature, and pressure) into it to contact a test material contained in it are indicated as being useful according to the invention, including without limitation, french-fryer baskets, covered colanders, cylindrically shaped constructions having mesh walls, and the like. The main criteria is that the container must possess walls which contain a plurality of pores that are smaller in size than the test material so as to prevent the test material from exiting the containing means.

Additionally, it is possible for a containing means to include a container having a pore larger than the size of the test material, provided an auxiliary containing means is used. For example, an alternative form of the invention comprises the placement of catalyst spheroids having a 5 mm diameter into a nylon mesh bag having a pore diameter of 3 mm, and then placing the whole bag into a containing means such as that depicted in FIG. 4, having pores obviously larger than the individual catalyst particles. In such alternative embodiment, the words "containing means are intended to be understood as including the nylon mesh bag utilized, or a functional equivalent thereof, regardless of its materials of construction.

For purposes of this specification and the appended claims, the word "reactor" includes a reactor system which may in the case of a batch process include an open or closed reactor pot or kettle, and any pipes, lines, recirculating loops, and other conduits connected to such pot or kettle which are caused to contain a static or moving reactant or other material present during the normal operation of the reactor. These include solvents, raw materials, intermediate products, finished products, coolants, lubricants, and the like.

In the case of a continuous process, it is true that often there exists in association with such continuous process a main reactor pot or kettle, and various pipes, lines, recirculating loops, and other conduits connected to the pot or kettle which are caused to contain a static or moving reactant or other material present during the normal operation of the reactor. Often, a continuous process includes an inlet stream which is caused to pass into the reactor and undergoes a chemical reaction to form the desired product and some undesired side-reaction products. It is typical in the various chemical industries for a stream of material containing the desired product and side-reaction products to be drawn off from the reactor at a selected rate, and fed through a transmission pipe to a second processing unit that is in fluid contact with the reactor (which may be a scrubber, refining unit, heat exchanger, or other process equipment, and which may carry out various functions, including separation of the desired product and other materials which may have a deleterious effect on the performance of the reactor). There is also associated a return line to send the stream back to the reaction vessel, pot, or kettle from the processing unit. For purposes of this specification and the claims, the word "reactor" includes the transmission pipe(s), the return line(s), any second processing unit(s), and any other piece of process equipment that is in fluid contact with the contents of the reaction vessel, pot, or kettle, since it is possible to carry out the process of this invention utilizing the system herein described wherein the hardwares of the system of this invention may be connected to any of the aforesaid portions of the reactor systems described. Thus, the "reactor" is intended to include all plumbing, fixtures, pipes, wares, tubes, reaction vessels, etc. that are in fluid contact with the region where the main intended chemical reaction or physical change occurs. It is often also the case that the reaction vessel is merely a tube, as in cases of "tubular reactors" or " shell and tube heat exchangers " as such are commonly referred to in the art. Systems which include tubular reactors or shell and tube heat exchangers also include feed lines leading to the reactor and transmission lines leading out of the reactor and to other pieces of process equipment which are in fluid contact with the contents of the reactor. As mentioned before, it is possible to adapt the wares of the system of the invention to any one of several possible locations in such system, for monitoring the process, including along the feed line to the reactor, along the transmission line leading from the reactor exit point to a second processing unit, within a second processing unit itself, or within the reactor itself. Alternatively, the wares of the invention may also be located on a parallel loop as illustrated in Flow Diagram I:

X

Sample

Bl B2 G Recycle

Zone where main reaction occurs, process stream, etc.

Flow Diagram I.

In Flow Diagram I, there is a zone where the intended reaction or physical change occurs (the reaction zone), which has a recycle loop A flowing from the exit portion of the reaction zone back into the inlet portion of the reaction zone, where reactants are normally caused to enter. Thus, it is seen that the exact location where one locates the wares of the system of the instant invention in order to carry out the process of the invention is not critical, but rather may be selected by the user depending upon the particular goals of the evaluation to be carried out. In cases where a set up according to Flow Diagram I is employed, it is possible for the test material to be contained within a section of pipe, containing means, or the like located at position X. Insertion of the test material into the reactor then entails opening either or both of valves Bl and B2 prior to or after the time when the valve in recycle loop A is opened during normal process operation. Isolating the test material may be readily accomplished by closing the valves Bl and B2. Once Bl and B2 are closed, then the test material may be removed from the reactor wares entirely, and subjected to any selected chemical analysis. It is most preferable, however, that when the test material used to monitor a chemical process in accordance with the invention is a catalyst material, the test material is located within either the feed line to the reactor, or, when a heated zone is needed that is only available within the reactor, the test material is preferably located within the reactor.

In addition, a reactor which contains a catalyst charge when it is operated under normal operating conditions will contain a known amount of catalyst, the exact quantity and configuration of which is typically determined by engineers having a good reactor economics background and historical information on which to base the desired amount of catalyst. Such a quantity of catalyst is known as the "normal catalyst charge" for such a reactor. For purposes of this invention, when the test material is a catalytic substance, the containing means is preferably of such capacity that the total amount of test material (catalyst) that is inserted into the reactor according to this invention using a containing means is less than 10.0 % of the normal catalyst charge for the reactor. More preferably, the amount is between 10.0 % and 5.0 %, including every hundredth percentage therebetween, more preferably still the amount is between 5.0 % and 0.50 %, including every hundredth percentage therebetween, and most preferably the amount is 0.50 % and 0.001 % of the total catalyst charge. In another preferred form of the invention, the total mass of the test material is between 10 grams and 2500 grams, with 1000 grams being preferred because of its representative size and ease in handling (insertion, isolation). However, the exact mass of the test material used is not critical, provided that the user is able to derive meaningful results from the test material by analysis, either chemical or by observation or some other method. As used herein, the words "catalytic substance" means any substance that is capable of existing in a solid form which behaves as a catalyst in accordance with the definition of a catalyst accepted by chemists everywhere, namely that the substance must be capable of increasing the rate of reaction of one chemical species with itself, or between two or more reactants, without undergoing any chemical change itself, regardless of whether the catalytic activity of the substance is derived from its reducing an energy of activation (Ea) of a reaction, by providing an alternative kinetic route, or by any other means. Illustrative without limitation of such substances are either supported or unsupported forms of, as are known to those in the art of catalysis: solid catalysts which contain metal oxides, solid catalysts which contain precious metals, solid catalysts which contain a mixture of metal oxides, a mixture of metals, or a combination of the two, solid catalysts which contain semi-metals such as phosphorous or arsenic, etc., with the list being extremely long as the number and type of catalysts suitable for use in accordance with this invention are limited only by the motivation provided one of ordinary skill in the art by this specification and the appended claims in view of all of the prior art patents, literature, and publications relating to catalysts. It may thus be said with certainty that this specification indicates that any catalyst material known to man which is capable of being held within a containing means is a suitable catalytic substance for use in this invention.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in this art that the rod/containing means combination described earlier contains a provision for adjusting the location of the containing means within the reactor. This is an advantage of the invention, because by placing a test material in different locations within a reactor it is possible to determine the exact conditions which exist at a particular location, which conditions may differ from those conditions at other locations. Such information is important, because it would enable the user to identify places where potential "hot spots" or discontinuities in flow might occur, or to identify irregularities in flow, which information can then be subsequently used in reactor modification towards increasing the overall performance of the reactor. In addition to the situation where a containing means attached to the end of a rod, other means for adjusting or altering in a controllable fashion the location of the containing means may be utilized in accordance with the invention, provided they are functionally equivalent. Such other suitable means include the use of a magnetically susceptible material (such as iron, cobalt, nickel or their alloys)attached to, or as an integral part of the containing means, in conjunction with a magnet or solenoid located externally to the reactor. Alternatively, the rod portion described herein may contain threads along its shaft, and there may be included a complementary female thread portion located on the shaft, which threaded portion functions as a sealing means when inserted into a pipe as set forth earlier herein. Alternatively, the rod described earlier may be stricken with graduations along its length, which are marked in such a way that a user of the invention may know the location of the containing means within the reactor. Other means for causing movement of a container within a reactor which are known to those skilled in the art may be used in this invention as a means for adjusting the location of the containing means. Through such means the location of the containing means within the reactor may be adjusted.

Although the present invention has been described in reference to certain preferred embodiments, various equivalent modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this specification and claims; the present invention is intended to cover all combinations employing functional equivalents of the elements of this invention, including process steps disclosed or implied.

Claims

I claim:

1) An apparatus for exposing a solid test material to liquid or gaseous reactants comprising: a) a rod portion having a first and second end portion; b) a containing means for containing said test material, wherein said containing means is attached to the first end portion of the rod portion; and c) a tubular portion having an open first end portion and an open second end portion, further comprising a cap portion disposed about the opening at said first end portion, wherein said cap portion includes a hole disposed through it that is adapted to receive and maintain said rod in a slidably mounted position within such hole, and further including a seal which extends coextensively about said hole and said rod to effectively preclude contact of matter on one side of said end portion with matter on the other side of said end portion.

2) An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second end of said tubular portion includes a flange portion.

3) An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said containing means includes within its confines a material selected from the group consisting of: adsorbents, absorbents, desiccants, filter media, zeolites, corrosion indicators, a charcoal, or a catalytic substance.

4) A process for monitoring reactor performance in a continuous chemical process while maintaining operation of the process which comprises the steps of: a) insertion of a test material into a reactor; b) operating a chemical process associated with said reactor; and c) isolating the test material from fluid contact with said reactor, wherein said test material is contained within a test material containing means, said containing means including a plurality of pores having a dimension no larger than the size of said test material so as to permit contact between the contents of the reactor and the test material.

5) The process according to claim 1 wherein said test material is selected from the group consisting of: catalytic substances, filter media, absorbents, acid indicators, base indicators, desiccants, adsorbents, and corrosion indicators.

6) The process according to claim 5 wherein the test material is a catalytic substance, and is present in the reactor in an amount of less than 5.0 percent by weight of the total amount of the normal catalyst charge for the reactor in the process employed, when the process utilizes a catalyst.

7) The process according to claim 5 wherein the test material is a catalytic substance, and is present in the reactor in an amount of less than 1.0 percent by weight of the total amount of the normal catalyst charge for the reactor in the process employed, when the process utilizes a catalyst.

8) The process of claim 1 wherein said isolating the test material comprises physical removal of the test material from the reactor. 9) The process according to claim 1 wherein said insertion occurs before an initial reactor startup.

10) The process according to claim 1 wherein said insertion occurs after the reactor is already operating.

11) The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of: d) analyzing the test material subsequent to said isolation.

12) A system for evaluating a test material in a reactor which comprises:

a) means for containing said test material; b) means for adjusting the location of said means for containing said test material within said reactor; and c) means for selective insertion or removal of said means for containing from within said reactor, in which no exchange is permitted between the contents of the reactor and its surroundings, wherein the location of said means for containing said test material within the reactor is capable by being altered by said means for adjusting the location, and wherein said means for selective insertion or removal is adapted to receive at least one of said means for containing said test material or said means for adjusting the location of said means for containing said test material. 13) The system of claim 12 wherein said means for containing said test material includes a plurality of pores having a dimension no larger than the size of said test material so as to permit contact between the test material and the contents of the reactor.

14) The system of claim 12 wherein said means for adjusting is magnetic.

15) A system for evaluating active solid materials which permits one to insert or remove such active solid materials from a commercial process during its normal operation which comprises: a) a rod portion having a first and second end portion; b) a means for containing a solid material attached to said second end portion of said rod portion to thus provide a rod/containing means assembly; c) a reactor which includes a feed line and a return line; d) a valve means attached to said feed line wherein said valve means is adapted to receive the end of said rod/containing means assembly which has the means for containing a solid material attached to it, wherein said valve means provides for isolation of conditions outside of the reactor from those conditions inside the reactor during: i) insertion of said end of said rod/containing means assembly which has the means for containing a solid material attached to it; and/or ii) removal of said end of said rod-containing means assembly; and/or iii) during reactor operation when said end of said rod-containing means assembly is in a stationary position within either of said feed line or return line.

16) A system according to claim 15 wherein said solid material is a catalyst. 17) A system according to claim 15 wherein the means for containing a solid material contains a catalytic substance, wherein said catalytic substance is present in said means for containing a catalyst material in an amount of less than 5.0 percent by weight of the total amount of the normal catalyst charge for the reactor in the process employed.

18) A system according to claim 15 wherein the means for containing a catalyst material contains a catalytic substance, wherein said catalytic substance is present in said means for containing a catalyst material in an amount of less than 1.0 percent by weight of the total amount of the normal catalyst charge for the reactor in the process employed.

19) The system of claim 15 wherein said means for containing a catalyst material includes a plurality of pores having a dimension no larger than the size of said test material so as to permit contact between the test material and the contents of the reactor.

20) A process for exposing a solid material to conditions inside a commercial chemical reactor which includes the steps of: a) providing a system according to claim 15; b) charging said means for containing a solid material with a solid material; and c) inserting said rod/containing means assembly into said valve means so that the containing means is at desired location, while maintaining the conditions inside the feed line isolated from conditions external to the feed line. 21) A process according to claim 20 wherein said insertion occurs before an initial reactor startup.

22) A process according to claim 20 wherein said insertion occurs after the reactor is already operating.

23) A process according to claim 20 wherein said solid material is a catalyst.